by awehla
http://www.livejournal.com/community/sv_world
Destiny
Clark and Lana smiled as they stepped out of the
limo. It was Prom night, the
Prom, supposedly the best night of an American
High school student's whole
school experience. And it had been pretty cool.
The band had been awesome,
the food was surprisingly good, everyone was
happy whether they had a date or
not and everyone had managed to let their hair
down. Chloe had managed to get
a babysitter and Lex had showed up as he had
promised.
Arm in arm Clark and Lana walked to the front of
the Kent house and Lana turned
to kiss him. Clark stood there looking rather
perplexed, though his speech
hardly betrayed him his facial expressions did.
Lana's skin flushed from
embarrassment.
"I'm sorry", she said. "I forgot".
"It's OK Lana", Clark said softly. "It would be
the perfect end to a perfect
evening".
"But it can't be - right?"
"We agreed this, going to the prom was just a
friend thing". That and he could
not have imagined taking anyone else.
"Clark I know its just - ". Lana paused - what could she say?
"A lot has happened the past couple of years".
Clark could not bring himself
to admit he was not sure he could kiss her, to
start it all again because of
what she had done in the past. But there was
also the fact he would soon be
leaving and that it would be unfair for both of
them to start anything - again.
"But it's prom night - we should be having fun".
"Reminiscing over old times?"
"Looking to the future," Clark said. "Do you wanna come inside?"
Again Clark wanted to run away and again that
made Lana even more determined to
get everything out in the open. Even now.
They entered the house through the kitchen door.
Clark went for the fridge
which was full of plenty of fresh produce but not
what he was after.
"I'll be back in a sec," he said and he whooshed
down to the cellar and back up
again before Lana had even managed to draw
breath. She was sure he had gotten
faster in the past year she had known. He held a
bottle of Californian
wine.
"Won't your parents mind?" Lana asked and Clark
blew on the bottle to cool the
red fruity liquid inside. Clark opened the
bottle with a cork screw.
"Dad said we can have this - it's been in the
cellar for a while," Clark said
as he poured Lana and himself a glass. "I think
Lex bought it for them".
Clark handed Lana a glass and she took a sip.
She grimaced at the taste. She
was not used to wine, usually she drank watered
down beer at the occasional
high school party.
"Is it gross?" Clark asked and he took a sip from
his glass. "I think I'd be
just as happy with coke". He gulped the rest of
the glass down, took the
bottle and Lana followed him into the living
room. They sat down on the
sofa.
"I suppose half the senior year will be drunk by
now," Lana said. And trying
to lose their virginity.
"I think Lex and Chloe are going to John Mackey's
party - his parents are away
for the week," Clark replied.
"I'd hate to be there in the morning to clean up".
"I'm not sure what Christian is up to though".
"I can imagine," Lana said smiling and Clark
couldn't help blushing. Well it
was prom night - so many clichs sprang to mind.
American Pie and such films
had a lot to answer for. "Clark I didn't come
here to talk about our
friends".
"Lana I'm leaving soon, I don't want to drag up the past again".
"This is exactly why we should talk - about us,"
Lana said, she could feel her
heart pounding away. She wondered if Clark could
tell - he could see through
her after all, literally. "You know how I feel
about you".
"And it wouldn't be fair for either of us to start anything now".
"Then why go Clark? Why can't you stay?" Lana cried taking hold of Clarks arms.
"Lana," Clark began and he hesitated. "We were
going to get together a year
ago remember - it didn't work".
"Come on Clark, what I found out about you - I needed to get used to it".
"And it's been over a year".
Clark poured himself a glass of wine.
Kalel
Clark looked around him and could feel himself
growing nervous. He had not
heard that voice for nearly a year.
"Now," he said out loud.
Soon the time will come my son. Jorel's voice echoed inside his mind.
"Clark are you OK?" Lana asked. He looked a bit strange.
"It's nothing," Clark replied, obviously on edge.
"Lana I think maybe you
should go to the party or something".
"We're not going to talk about this?" Lana cried
and Clark shook his head. She
had tears in her eyes.
"Lana I didn't want to say this but you had your
chance," Clark said and Lana
stormed out of the house through the front door
and Clark could feel his hands
shaking. He did not mean to push her away, he
never did.
The Previous Spring - Over a year ago
Mr Hansen opened the doors of the music room and
around fifty students from
freshman to senior year piled in. Lana looked
surprised to see Clark sat at
the piano.
"I wasn't expecting so many of you," Mr Hanson
said sounding quite pleased. "I
hope you have all prepared a song from the list I
put on the notice board".
"Clark what are you doing here?" Lana asked
quietly as Pete was talking to a
young girl - Sarah Nixon.
"Mr Hansen asked me to play piano for the
auditions," Clark replied a little
embarrassed. "He overheard me practicing and
kind of roped me in to help. Tom
Bryant was going to do it but he's sick".
"Oh right".
"Right if you can all get in groups of five
depending on which songs you've
prepared obviously," Mr Hansen cried. "I want a
verse and a chorus from each
of you".
Mr Hansen listened to the groups and then began
listening to individuals who
showed promise. Pete, the 6th or 7th student to
sing did a competent rendition
of `Your Song' and then it was Lana's turn.
Clark played the introduction and Mr Hansen
glared at him as he played a wrong
note. Lana was making him nervous.
Lana's hand shook as she held the piece of paper
with the words on in her
hands. She didn't really need to look at it but
wanted it there just in
case.
"You with the sad eyes don't be discouraged, you
must realise," she sang in a
sweet and pleasant voice which croaked slightly
on the first note. Her mouth
was so dry. Her voice grew stronger with her
confidence. "I see your true
colours shining through, true colours that's why
I love you, your true colours,
beautiful like a rainbow". After that last note
everyone in the room applauded
and Lana beamed proudly.
"That was great Lana," Clark said and Mr Hansen
looked unmoved. Lana sat down
and Christian Bienek, a student who had once
lived in Smallville, went away for
a while and had come back, stepped up to the
piano. Clark remembered him and
he had changed a lot, he still had dark hair and
glasses but he now had a lip
piercing and wore black t-shirts with jeans
pretty much all the time. A couple
of boys in football jackets were whispering and
making comments as Christian
began to sing.
"We belong together and you know that I'm right".
His voice was deep and
soulful. "How could you play with my heart? Why
do you play with my
mind?"
Pete and the girl he had been speaking to earlier
- Sarah, looked at each
other, their expressions conveying the fact they
were both surprised and
impressed.
"When I can't sleep at night with out holding you
tight". His voice did not
seem as if it belonged to him. It was as though
his voice had been stolen from
a forty year old black blues singer. "Pain in my
head oh I'd rather be dead,
spinning around and around oh so we've come to
the end of the road".
Lana almost felt embarrassed. He had blown her
pathetic attempt at singing
right out of the water.
"Good," Mr Hansen said. The only comment he had
made so far throughout the
auditions. "I think we should start reading for
specific parts now, let me
just get my stuff together". He began sorting
through a big pile of papers he
had sat down on a table in the corner earlier,
like quite a few music teachers
Mr Hansen was quite unorganised. Everyone in the
room began talking amongst
themselves.
"You could be a professional man," Pete said and Clark nodded.
"I am - sort of" Christian replied. "I sing in a
club in Grandville once a
fortnight or so - depending on how much homework
I've got to do".
"Which club?" Pete asked.
"The Black Cat bar on the corner of third street".
"Isn't that-?"
"Yeh its a gay friendly bar," Christian said
looking at Clark for a reaction.
The pair had been good friends when they were
kids.
"Don't your parents mind?" Clark asked. "Singing
in a club when you're
underage I mean?"
"I don't live with my parents".
"Oh so how come you came back to Smallville?"
"They sent me back here to live with my grandparents".
"Oh yeh they've taken over the Greer's old shop"
Pete said, recalling something
he had heard around school earlier that week.
"Yeh except its more of a junk shop than an
antique store now," Christian said
smiling. Clark could still here a hint of a
British accent in Christian's
voice, he and his parents had moved to Smallville
from England around the time
of the meteor shower. "I heard Tina Greer, the
daughter, was like a shape
shifter or something".
"Well Smallville has only got weirder since you left" Pete said.
"Hey Clark," Lana said approaching the three boys
tentatively. "I never knew
you could play piano".
Neither did he till he had found one of his mum's
old piano books one night
when he could not sleep and had taught himself to
play in two hours.
"I er, never knew you could sing," Clark replied.
"Right if Mr Bienek you can sing the part of
Jesus, Mr Ross and Mr Mackey you
can do the part of Judas and Miss Lang, Miss
Nixon the part of Mary Magdalene
please," Mr Hansen said.
The following Monday the cast list was on the
notice board outside the music
room and Clark was kind of disappointed to see
Tom's name next to where it said
Show Pianist. Christian came walking along at
that point with Pete and Lana.
"Hey Clark man," Pete cried. "Let us in on the good news".
"You got the part," Clark said as he looked up at the list.
Judas Iscariot Pete Ross
"Cool," Pete said as he tapped the sheet on the
board where his name was
displayed.
"And I get to be Jesus," Christian said. "Now
that's something I thought I'd
never get to say".
"And I got understudy," Lana said, disappointment clear in her voice.
"You've still got a part," Clark said patting her on the shoulder.
"As the deformed girl". Pete laughed at this point.
"That's not what the part is called," Clark said
smiling. "Anyway guys I'll be
back in a sec I just need to have a word with Mr
Hansen".
Clark went into the music room leaving the others outside.
"Mr Hansen," Clark said.
"Mr Kent," he replied. "Thanks for helping out last week by the way".
"Thing is sir I'd still like to help out with the play".
"Well I thought you would be helping Miss
Sullivan with reviews and such". He
packed a couple of things into his briefcase and
did not look at Clark as he
did it.
"That won't be for another ten weeks on opening
night," Clark said and Mr
Hansen tucked his briefcase under his arm and
looked at Clark. "You can help
the art department I suppose and if Tom gets sick
again we'll need a back
up".
"I can play in the band," Clark said.
"What else can you play?" Mr Hansen asked.
"Drums," Clark replied - it couldn't be that difficult to learn.
"We don't really need anyone else Mr Kent as I
said speak to the art
department," Mr Hansen said and he began walking
out of the room.
"Sir have I done something wrong?"
"It's nothing personal Clark but trouble seems to
have a habit of following you
around and I can't afford to let anything ruin
this play, I hope you
understand," Mr Hansen said and he left the room.
Clark followed and his
friends were still stood outside.
"Guess what Clark, Christians invited us to one of his gigs tonight," Lana said.
"How are we going to get to Grandville?" Clark asked.
"Well I can drive us," Pete said.
"And you can bring your friends Chloe and Lex if
you want," Christian said.
"That's of course if you'll all be comfortable".
"It should be fun," Lana said smiling excitedly.
Later that afternoon Chloe was in The Torch
office typing away on her computer
as usual. Clark was sat opposite her typing out
the cast list for the
play.
"I can't believe Mr Hansen blowing you off like
that," Chloe said. "I mean you
can be a bit unreliable at times but you're there
when it matters".
"See I don't really like having that kind of
reputation," Clark replied. "It
makes me more determined to prove him wrong".
"What kind of things are the art department doing
for the play, sets and
stuff?" Chloe asked.
"Yeh I spoke to Miss Lopez earlier and since I
got an A in art she was quite
happy for me to help".
"Well that's good, I never knew you got an A in art".
"And you being a journalist". The pair heard a
familiar voice emanating from
the doorway.
"Lex," Clark cried smiling. "I was trying to get hold of you".
"Yeh Pete just saw me in the halls going on about
us all going to some gay bar
tonight - is there something you're not telling
us Clark?"
"Actually its gay friendly which means its open
to gay and straight people,"
Chloe replied in her usual slightly defensive
tone when dealing with Lex. "And
we're going to see Clark's friend do a gig".
"Well I'll be there if you're going Chloe," Lex
said smiling and she blushed.
"I'll see you all in there, I've got work to do".
Lex left the office as soon
as he'd entered leaving Chloe's stomach doing
somersaults.
"What did he mean he'll go if I'm going?" Chloe said.
"You know Lex," Clark replied. "He's always
fooling around". Chloe frowned at
that comment, Lex never fooled around.
Back in the Present (Well future)
"Wahhh," the baby screamed as Clark gently rocked
her up and down. He had
X-rayed Lillian three times and she seemed
physically fine. Why had he agreed
to baby-sit? Well usually it was fun.
"Clark is she teething?" Martha cried as she
walked into the room. She had
been trying to do some sewing in the kitchen with
little success.
"Well it looks like there's a couple of teeth
coming through," Clark said as he
X-rayed her again. "Chloe did leave this
Zilactin stuff in the baby bag".
"Well I suggest you use it," Martha said. "You
know I used to be a bit sad
Jonathan and I missed out on this stage of your
development but now I can see
how it might have been a blessing".
Clark handed Lillian to Martha and went to get a
washcloth, back in a split
second he sat down with the baby who began
sucking on the cloth quite
happy.
"Well it says on the instructions to massage it
into the gums but she seems
quite happy to just suck on it," Clark said
smiling at his goddaughter. "I'm
gonna miss you". He kissed her on the cheek and
looked up at Martha. "And you
mom".
"You'll get me started again," Martha said
sitting down on the coffee table and
reaching for a Kleenex.
"I'm going to England mom it's not the other side
of the - world," Clark said
as he looked at the front door distracted.
"Chloe's at the door".
Martha went to answer it as Chloe was about to
knock and Chloe entered the
living room smiling.
"I got all our stuff sorted for graduation
tomorrow," she said excitedly. "And
how's my little girl, you know Lex was real
pissed off I let you baby-sit".
Chloe took hold of Lillian who was still sucking
on the wash cloth.
"I hope you explained to Lex that I want to spend
as much time with Lillian as
I can before I go away," Clark said. "He could
have come round here
anyway".
"He was going to," Chloe said cuddling her
daughter to her newly ample chest.
Lex loved it, Chloe thought she looked like a
slightly chunky exotic dancer.
"Then he remembered he had to work anyway".
"I'm glad you and Lex are working out," Martha
said and Clark could detect a
hint of falseness from his mother. She had been
fourth in line to beat Lex up
when he had gotten seventeen year old Chloe
pregnant after Gabe, Clark and
Jonathan. "Anyway I have some work to do, I'll
have those trousers you wanted
turned up done for you later this afternoon
Chloe".
"Thanks Mrs Kent," Chloe said and Martha went
back into the kitchen. "So how
is your Mom's new business going?"
"OK I guess," Clark said. "She's started doing
design stuff now for this
underwear company in Metropolis".
"Remember you owe me a flight before you go," Chloe said.
"I haven't forgotten Chloe," Clark replied
wondering how Chloe's thoughts had
turned from underwear to flight like that.
"You know I was thinking about when I first found out earlier today".
"What about it?" Clark asked.
"All of it, you flying me to the hospital - I was
so glad you trusted me
Clark," Chloe said. "And after that whole Lionel
wanting me to investigate you
thing".
"Well that happened a long time ago".
"And you had tried so hard to keep your secret and-"
"I wasn't going to let my secret stop me from helping a friend," Clark said.
"Total change of conversation but how are you and
Lana at the moment?" Chloe
asked. "She said you don't want to get back with
her".
"I'm going away, it wouldn't be fair".
"No I totally agree with you, and you've so moved
on since then, she was with
that Jason guy for like ages".
"Thank Lex for getting me that work Visa," Clark
said. "When I go to Australia
they have special agencies for travellers to get
work but in England you should
really have the proper paperwork".
"You are so lucky," Chloe said, getting excited
for her friend. "I mean screw
Journalism College; you'll get to learn
everything about writing travelling
around the world".
"You're lucky too," Clark said stroking the top of Lillian's head gently.
"Do you think you'll be able to have kids Clark?"
Chloe asked looking at her
first born in her arms, Clark stroking her head,
it was a picture.
"Who knows?" Clark said getting embarrassed.
"All the parts are there, they
seem to work".
"You look human, I don't see why you couldn't
have kids, our DNA can't be that
different," Chloe said. "You'll find someone
Clark, don't worry".
"I still feel like a kid sometimes".
"Well maybe after we graduate tomorrow they'll be
some magnificent
transformation into adult hood," Chloe said and
she looked down at Lillian.
"Then again I've already had that, see you
tomorrow Clark". Chloe headed for
the door.
"Chloe, I'm having a goodbye dinner next week, will you come?" Clark asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Chloe said
and Clark helped her carry the
baby bag to the car.
The Previous year
Ooh you're moving to fast and I don't think its
right I'm not giving you my
love tonight.
A dance tune filled the club and crowds of people
were dancing. Lex was stood
at the bar waiting for the others to show up. He
could see Clark and Pete
pushing through the crowds to the bar area where
Lex was stood. As Clark and
Pete moved out of the way Lex saw Chloe and Lana
who had been walking behind
them. Lana was dressed in tight leather hipster
trousers, a pink strapless
corset style top, her hair was scraped up in a
high ponytail and she was
wearing bright pink lipstick and little black
open toed shoes with very high
heels. Chloe was the real surprise though
dressed in a short black skirt she
kept feeling she had to pull down, black shiny
boots up to her knees and a low
cut dark red top, dark red lipstick and her hair
was crimped and rather trashy
looking Lex thought.
"You both look so different," Lex said, his words
slightly slurred. "I might
have to run away with one of you, Chloe". Lex
picked Chloe up in his arms and
began running across the bar as Chloe screamed.
"Lex what has got into you?" she cried. "Put me
down". Lex carried on running
around like an idiot Pete, Clark and Lana
watching on rather puzzled at the
usual cool mans odd behaviour. Chloe managed to
kick Lex in the groin area not
too hard and he dropped her on the floor.
"Nice underwear," Lex said as he helped Chloe up.
Yet again another `non Lex'
comment.
"How much have you had to drink?" she asked. She
didn't know whether she liked
drunk Lex.
"Not much," he replied. "Just five beers".
"Well if you're going to be so playful maybe you've had enough".
"I'm sorry Chloe, I don't know what came over
me," Lex said his expression all
of sudden serious, he was out of breath too. "I
want us to be friends".
"I thought we were already," Chloe said smiling. "Now get me a diet coke".
Lana went to the ladies room and Pete and Clark
ordered drinks for the three of
them since Chloe and Lex had gone off together.
Pete nudged Clark and nodded
his head towards a pretty red haired barmaid.
"She's hot, do you reckon she's gay?"
"I don't know Pete maybe I should X-ray her and find out," Clark quipped.
"You can do that?" Pete cried and Clark gave him
a look as if to say `no Pete'.
"Oh".
"Anyway Pete I thought you liked Sarah".
"Nah she's just a friend, a very hot very sexy
friend," Pete said and Clark
laughed as the club went silent for a moment.
"And now the man of the hour" a man stood on a
platform towards the back of the
club announced. "It's Black Cat regular
Christian Bienek".
"Very superstitious," Christian sang into the
microphone as the band behind him
played. "The writings on the wall".
"Oh good I didn't miss the start," Lana said to
Pete and Clark as she came back
over to the bar.
"Had a bit of trouble finding the bathroom?" Clark asked.
"No I was talking to Jason," Lana replied looking
at Christian singing rather
than Clark.
"What is it with you two?" Clark asked. Jason
Trebus had been in their class
for years and all of a sudden she and him were
like best friends.
"We're friends," Lana replied. "Like you and me Clark".
Lex and Chloe walked back over to the trio.
"Your friend's very good Clark, how come I've never seen him before?" Lex said.
"Christian used to live in Smallville, he and his
parents moved here to be with
his grandparents when he was three just before
the meteor shower, they then
moved to Grandville when he was nine and now he's
come back to Smallville to
live with his grandparents," Clark explained.
"We were good friends".
"Could you tell he was a bit different when you
were kids?" Chloe asked. "You
know that would suggest he was gay".
"Well he didn't have a secret desire to play with
dolls or anything Chloe,"
Clark remarked, a bit defensive. "He was a
regular kid -like me".
"Regular like you Clark," Lex said with a grin.
Christian finished his set after forty-five
minutes, a mixture of Stevie
Wonder, Justin Timberlake, The Beatles, even a
bit of `old blue eyes' and the
audience loved it as usual. He came to join the
others for a dance, the music
of Outkast was followed by Daniel Beddingfield
which was followed by a new band
called Mystique.
The way you move so scandalous
Lex, Pete and Christian were dancing with the
girls and Clark was happy to
watch. They had all had the benefit of at least
one drink, Clark had
discovered in Metropolis he could have a gallon
of beer and not be effected in
the slightest.
"Come and dance Clark," Lana cried. Clark looked
at her and could not help
feeling guilty, guilty that he wanted her so
much. He had found out even his
own father had not been above feeling lustful,
maybe that was the effect Earth
had had on Jorel but the fact is Clark was on
Earth permanently, permanently
conflicted, permanently horny.
It's all about the two of us, a one night stand just aint enough
"I need some stimulation baby, a little
conversation maybe," Chloe sang along
looking up at Lex. She had quite a knack for
picking up the words to songs.
But boy she was drunk, there had obviously been
some vodka in that coke. She
felt like she could take Lex round the back right
now, up against the wall.
Her heels might make her just tall enough but
then again Lex worked out, he
might be able to lift her up.
Clark was dancing awkwardly with Lana and he
realised after half an hour or so
no one really cared what he looked like and
neither should he.
"That guys checking you out," Lana said to Clark
nodding at a black guy stood
in the corner and she began giggling.
"Lana according to you every guy is checking me
out even the straight ones"
Clark said.
"They are," Christian remarked.
"Ooh my phones vibrating - it might be Jason,"
Lana cried and she ran out of
the club into the street.
"Lana," Clark cried.
"She'll be all right, the bouncers will keep an eye on her," Christian said.
Get off
Clark could hear Lana shouting outside and he whooshed out of the club.
"Where did Clark go?" Christian asked as he turned to see Clark had disappeared.
"He always does that," Lex replied, suspicion not
present in his voice though
he felt it. "You get used to it".
"Get off her," Clark cried as a man struggled with Lana to take her bag.
"Stay out of this kid," he cried pointing a knife
in Clark's direction. Clark
knocked the knife out of the guys hand and Lana
turned and kneed him in the
balls.
"You bitch," he said and he ran off leaving
Lana's bag and phone on the floor.
Clark helped her pick them up.
"Are you OK Lana?" Clark asked.
"It was Nell on the phone, she hasn't called me
in like two weeks and she had
to call now and this happens," Lana replied
getting tears in her eyes. The
vodka was getting to her.
"Lana no harm was done," Clark said and he laughed. "Except to that guy".
"What will I do Clark when you leave Smallville
and I don't have you to save me
anymore?"
"Lana I'm not going anywhere," Clark said. "Shall I take you home?"
"Yeh I suppose we can get the next bus".
"I'll just text Pete and let him know".
For Clark and Lana the hour and a half bus ride
back to Smallville was one of
the funnest parts of the evening. The alcohol
had made Lana rather chatty and
funny and some of that rubbed off on Clark. For
once they were not discussing
anything serious, nothing bad had happened and
they could just enjoy being kids
on a night out.
Clark and Lana managed to get off the bus half
way between the town and the
farm but by the time they got back to Lana's
house it was one a.m. Clark
followed Lana up the stairs to her room as she
kept putting her finger to her
mouth and shushing him. He wanted to make sure
she got in her bed rather than
collapsing half way up the stairs. Lana opened
the bedroom door.
"I don't think Chloe's back yet," she said as
Clark followed her into the room.
Lana closed the door. Clark began nosing around
the room looking at the
various posters on the wall, the pictures by the
beds. Clark picked up a care
bear off of the bed and smiled.
"Whose is this?" he asked.
"That's `Love a Lot Bear'," Lana replied snatching it off him. "He's mine".
Clark tripped over Lana's slippers on the floor and fell back onto Lana's bed.
"Just what I've always wanted," Lana said
chucking the bear on the floor.
"Clark Kent in my bedroom and on my bed"
"Lana," Clark said, embarrassed. "Maybe I should go".
"Clark not yet," Lana cried as she knelt at the
end of the bed in front of
Clark. "I wanted to thank you again, you're
always there for me".
"I thought I was always letting you down," Clark
said as Lana's face moved
closer to his.
"I know you think I'm just drunk Clark but I
still care about you," she said in
a soft voice.
"What about Jason?" Clark asked.
"It's not serious or anything," Lana replied.
And that was good enough for
him. As Lana kissed Clark on the lips softly he
pulled her down on top of him
and they began kissing passionately. Clark could
feel his stomach doing
somersaults, it was as though their bodies could
not be close enough, their
lips could not move fast enough and Lana still a
bit drunk couldn't help biting
his mouth in the over excitement. But Clark did
not mind, it was kinda sexy.
Lana opened her eyes and straddled across Clark
realised all of a sudden there
was a distance between them and the bed. "Oh my
God Clark".
Clark looked up and realised the ceiling was
closer than before and felt like
he was about to throw up. This was his worst
nightmare. He would not have
minded if his body had betrayed him like most
teenage boys but this was not
most teenage boys, this was - awful. There was
no way he could explain this
away - no way. Lana was not that drunk.
"Clark what the hells going on?"
"Lana it's OK it'll stop in a minute," Clark said
quietly trying to shush the
girl up.
"You mean you're doing this?"
What else had she thought was going on? A ghost perhaps?
Clark closed his eyes and they fell back on the bed causing a large crash.
"What are you girls up to?" they heard Gabriel cry from down the hall.
Lana immediately jumped off Clark.
"What the hell happened there Clark? You said
you'd never been effected by the
meteor rocks but well obviously-" Lana hissed.
"Look Lana I can explain," Clark cried. He was
desperately upset but Lana was
caught up too much in her rant.
"You lied to me Clark and-"
Clark reached out for her hands.
"Don't touch me," she snapped.
"I didn't get effected by the meteor rocks I, I
wasn't here during the meteor
shower in Smallville I mean," Clark began to
explain.
"Keep away from me," Lana almost screamed, she
was crying. Completely freaked
out.
A few moments before and Lex and Chloe were
walking across the grass up to the
Sullivan house. Chloe was laughing and chatting
away holding Lex's hand and
twirling around like a little girl. Lex loved to
see her like this. The
hard-nosed journalist routine he knew was just a
cover as was his cool rich guy
routine.
"I am going to be so sick tomorrow " Chloe said.
"And guess what Lex we've got
a maths test too and I didn't study".
"A right little rebel Miss Sullivan," Lex replied.
"Kiss me Lex," Chloe said suddenly after a few moments silence.
"OK," Lex said smiling and he leant down and
cupping her face in his hands
kissed her on the lips gently.
"You can do better than that," Chloe said and she
began kissing him back
passionately. Despite her youthful clumsiness
Lex was quite taken aback at
what had been bubbling up inside his blonde
friend. His friend he was kissing
and he was loving it. They could only breath
through their noses for so long
and when they looked up to catch a breath Chloe
began laughing.
"What?" Lex said.
"You've got my whorish lipstick all over your
face," Chloe replied smiling.
She handed him a tissue knowing he wouldn't want
to wipe it all over his four
hundred dollar suit. "See you later Lex".
"Bye". Chloe let herself in the house, waved at
Lex one more time and walked
quietly up to her room. She could hear her dad
snoring like a power drill.
"Clark just get away from me," Lana cried and
Chloe taking hold of her handbag
strap stormed into her room to find Clark sat on
the bed and Lana cowering in
the corner crying hysterically.
"What?" Chloe cried. "Clark get away from her".
"Look Chloe this isn't what you think," Clark
said in that insistent and honest
tone of his but Chloe wasn't buying it.
"Clark get out before my dad wakes up," Chloe
said a surprising maturity and
calm taking over. Clark got up and left the
room, left the house as Lana broke
down in Chloe's arms. She would not insist Clark
was not a monster, that
nothing had happened because in her eyes at that
moment he was the liar who had
been making out with her and floated them both up
in the air. Clark said he
was not effected by the meteor rocks, so what
else was he? He certainly wasn't
human. So much that had happened, Perry White
thinking he had powers, being
able to beat up three guys and throw one onto a
car, what the freak killer had
told her, the flashbacks to 1961, how he had
zipped from one place to another
in an instant the night Adam was killed, what had
happened with Lex's car - at
that moment so many incidences filled Lana's mind
and she had to cry to stop
her brain exploding.
One thirty a.m. and Clark was back at the Kent
farm, he had gone as fast as he
could. Martha and Jonathan hearing the door open
came rushing down the stairs.
Where had he been till this hour?
Clark looked up at them with tears in his eyes
but some how managed to stop
them flowing. Even though Jonathan had been a
somewhat sensitive role model
for Clark but crying just was not a very Kent
thing to do.
"Clark what happened?" Jonathan asked, trying his best not to sound accusatory.
"Lana knows," Clark replied as he closed the
door. And what he had feared for
the past few years had happened, she did not
understand.
"Knows what Clark?" Jonathan knew exactly what he meant.
"Maybe you should start from the beginning,"
Martha said as Clark followed his
parents into the sitting area. Martha and
Jonathan sat down on the sofa and
Clark sat down in the armchair.
"We went to this club," he said. "This place in
Grandville, to hear my friend
Christian do one of his gigs".
"Christian Bienek?" Martha cried raising an
eyebrow. "I heard he was back in
Smallville, his parents sent him back here
because of something that happened
between him and a male school teacher".
"Well it was a gay club," Clark said, a little
taken aback by what his mother
had just said. He had never realised she could
be such a gossip. "Lana went
outside the club to answer her phone and she
nearly got mugged".
"But you used your powers to save her," Jonathan interjected.
"I wish". Clark swallowed hard. "Anyway I took
Lana home on the bus and this
is so embarrassing, we were making out on her bed
and-"
"What son?" Though his tone was considerate the
loudness of it showed Clark he
was angry.
"Lana was on top of me and well, we ended up
floating in the air, not for very
long. And we crashed back on the bed".
"Like when you've floated in your sleep a couple of times," Martha said.
"Yeh and well she just freaked out, wouldn't hear
anything I wanted to say, she
just shouted at me".
"What did she say?"
"Just that I lied to her about me not being
effected by the meteor rocks, I
said I hadn't been and she was shouting at me and
crying, she was a bit
drunk".
"Maybe she won't remember," Jonathan said.
"Oh she'll remember, Chloe walked in and well -
now she thinks I'm some kind of
date rapist".
"Chloe wouldn't think that about you," Martha
said and she went over to Clark
and gave him a hug.
"Perhaps you should talk to Lana tomorrow and
explain son - you'll have to tell
her the truth," Jonathan said.
The next day during morning recess Clark felt as
though the whole school was
watching as he walked through the halls to his
locker. Pete was waiting for
him.
"Clark man we have to talk," he said. "I can't
believe what everyone is
saying".
Clark nodded and they went into an empty classroom.
"What are they saying Pete?"
"That you tried to get it with Lana and she said
no and you got erm a bit
heavy, that you turned violent," Pete said
nervously. "Some guys on the
football team were talking about it and I was
like there was no way you'd do
anything like that and that Lana's just
tripping".
"Thanks Pete".
"So what did happen?"
"It's kind of embarrassing," Clark said and he
took a deep breath. "Basically
me and Lana were making out and I was floating in
the air and we both were and
she started going crazy. She knows Pete".
"Then why has Lana been telling people you attacked her?"
"Well Chloe heard her screaming and she saw us - she thought I was trying to-"
"But Chloe wouldn't spread rumours, that's not her style".
"Maybe someone overheard Chloe and Lana, maybe
Lana told Jason or one of her
other friends I don't know. I just need to talk
to her and we can get this all
straightened out".
"Well we've got track next period maybe you can get her alone then".
"Good idea Pete".
"You know Lana's probably just mad that you lied
to her Clark, it was a shock,
she'll calm down".
"Yeh you're probably right, I was supposed to be
in love with her and I lied to
her".
"Well this isn't any ordinary lie," Pete said and the bell rang for next period.
"Shouldn't you be out on the field with the other students?"
Chloe jumped to hear Lex's voice behind her as
she was sat at her computer in
the Torch office.
"Lex," she said flushing from embarrassment
remembering his kiss from the night
before. She composed herself. "I told Mrs
Peterson I was on my period".
"Not with that short skirt you were wearing last
night," Lex remarked with a
grin.
"Well that was last night, this morning normal
service has resumed," Chloe
replied. "Once I've got rid of this hangover".
She took a sip of her coffee
which had gone cold and Lex handed her a fresh
one from the Talon he had been
keeping behind his back.
"Not too full of regrets I hope," he said.
"Thanks," Chloe said taking a sip of the fresh
coffee. "I wasn't myself. But
at least this time I was just drunk and not
infected by some cave parasite or
weird flower".
"Chloe you have to relax sometimes".
"Do you Lex? Do you ever just veg out on the
sofa watching crap on TV eating
popcorn?"
"If I had someone to veg out with maybe," Lex said. "How about it Chloe?"
"Is this your way of asking me on a sort of date?"
"Nothing sort of about it. I mean I could ask
you to a fancy restaurant or the
opera instead if you like".
"No TV is fine," Chloe said, she could not quite believe what was happening.
"Just one other thing Chloe," Lex replied and he
bent down to kiss her again.
She kissed him back less hungry than before.
They were in her school. And
this time she knew it was going to happen again.
Lex walked back to the door.
"What time do you want me to come round?" Chloe asked.
"Seven OK, we can order pizza" Lex replied.
"OK". Lex smiled and just like that he was gone and so was Chloe.
Clark ran alongside Lana down the track. Mrs
Peterson and Mr Grayling the
coaches were too busy chatting amongst themselves
to notice the separate
classes had decided to merge into a co-ed one.
Lana ran faster.
"I wouldn't bother Lana unless you've broken the
sound barrier lately," Clark
cried.
"Anything else you want to tell me Clark while
you're at it?" Lana retorted in
an annoyed tone.
"Lana I just want to talk to you and explain".
"I don't want to talk to you Clark, what happened
last night, you scared me,"
Lana said and she stopped running. She was out
of breath and Clark talking to
her only made it harder to breath.
"You don't have to talk to me Lana, just listen,"
Clark said and she nodded and
still out of breath she followed him under the
bleachers and into the boiler
room. Some of the other kids watched confused.
"I didn't think Clark had done anything," one
girl said. "Lana is just a
tease".
"Where did you guys hear that stuff from?" Pete asked.
"We heard it from Gill from the cheerleading squad".
Clark closed the door behind him.
"Leave it open," Lana said.
"I don't particularly want anyone hearing this
Lana," Clark snapped. "I mean
what do you think I'm going to do?"
"Fine".
"Look Lana I'm not a meteor freak".
"You keep saying that but you floated up in mid
air Clark, what other
explanation is there?"
"Lana I didn't want to lie to you but what I am
it had to be kept a secret,"
Clark said.
"Just spit it out Clark".
"OK I'll just say it," Clark said and he
swallowed hard and looked Lana right
in the eyes. "I'm not human".
"You must be human," Lana said, incredulously.
"You look like a human, you
kiss like a human, you eat, you sleep, what was
happening in your trousers last
night seemed pretty damn human to me".
"The reason my father sent me here, I guess its
because I do look and seem
human but I'm not. I was born on the planet
Krypton".
"Krypton?" Lana cried. This was just getting
stupider. "Why aren't you living
there now? Why are you living with the Kent's?"
"The planet Krypton doesn't exist anymore," Clark
said. "I'm the last one left,
my father sent me here to save my life because he
couldn't save them".
"So you're biological parents are dead," Lana
said and her anger dissipated for
a moment. "I'm sorry Clark".
"And you understand why I couldn't tell you?"
"Yeh I guess. How did you get here?"
"In a space ship"
"Can I see it?"
"I blew it up," Clark said. "Long story". Clark
felt suddenly excited, more
relaxed, perhaps Lana would be cool with this.
"Wait a minute Clark when exactly did the
spaceship land?" Lana asked, a
terrible thought had just entered her mind, it
made her sick just to think
it.
"It was during the meteor shower".
"The meteor shower that killed my parents," Lana
exclaimed loudly, her hands
shaking. "No wonder you didn't want to tell me".
"Come on Lana don't you think I've thought the
same thing, that things would
have been so much better in Smallville if I
hadn't come here," Clark cried but
Lana could not sympathise with him. All of a
sudden Clark looked some how
different - like a monster.
"You're right Clark," she screamed. "There was a
reason your race was dying,
why that planet exploded what good did it do for
your father to send you
here?"
"How dare you question my father?" Clark snapped
almost shouting, the anger
boiling up inside him.
"Well, maybe if he'd thought before he'd acted
all of the bad things that have
happened in Smallville the past fourteen years
could have been avoided," Lana
said, she paused for a moment and began speaking
again in a softer voice. "So
that drifter Jo, that guy who looked like you -
he was an alien, that was your
father".
"He sent me to Smallville because of how the
Kent's helped him when he was on
the run. He knew Hiram Kent and his wife were
expecting my dad, he knew there
would be good decent people here to take care of
me".
"Why all this fuss over you? One life and for
you all these people had to die,
all these kids who could have had normal lives
were mutated". Lana's hands
were shaking. "I could have had a normal life
Clark".
"I know you're mad but I was like two or three
years old I couldn't control
what happened".
"But you could control the fact you lied to me
for the past three years," Lana
said and she suddenly felt tired.
"Well don't you understand why I had to lie?"
Clark asked, annoyed. "What I am
is like the biggest secret in the history of the
world". Clark felt suddenly
stupid saying that but it was true and he would
realise that one day.
"How can you be so arrogant?" Lana exclaimed
angrily and she went to hit Clark
in the chest and he grabbed her wrist as lightly
as he could. She looked up at
his face, he still looked the same, but the fact
was he was a liar. And the
fact he was indirectly responsible for everything
that had happened since the
meteor shower, the pain that caused her to hear
that, to know that, was almost
crippling. They looked at each other just
breathing for a moment. Clark let
go of Lana's wrist and she turned away from him.
"I need time to digest this,
I'll make sure no one else at school thinks you,
you know I-". Lana left the
boiler room and Clark had to stop himself lashing
out, just because he was
angry did not mean the schools heating should be
broken.
Clark left the boys changing room without waiting
for Pete or Christian as he
would usually and the two boys looked at each
other, Pete looked rather pensive
and Christian raised an eyebrow.
"Shouldn't we go after him?" Christian asked.
"You can man but aren't we supposed to be rehearsing?"
Christian shrugged his shoulders, did the Velcro
up on his sneakers and
followed after Clark. He was still stood in the
hall looking kind of lost.
"Are you all right Clark? Did you and Lana have another argument?"
"It doesn't matter".
"Clark nobody thinks you did anything to her, you're not that type of person".
"It's not about that," Clark said and he began
walking, Christian followed.
"Well it is, she found out something about me".
"Well I can't imagine it was anything bad - this
is you we're talking about,"
Christian said smiling as they walked towards the
exit of the school grounds.
Clark found himself following Christian and not
really paying much
attention.
"I'm not that same goody goody kid I was back when we were ten".
"I know, you ran away to Metropolis but you
didn't do it to be bad, you were
upset."
"What do you know about it?"
"People were only too happy to fill me in about you Clark".
"And you were asking?"
"People just remember us being friends before I
went to Grandville," Christian
said. "Anyway what did Lana find out that was so
bad?"
"It's not exactly something bad - just different".
"Like being gay?"
"Well it is sort of," Clark replied thoughtfully.
"Except `coming out' for me
would be a bit more difficult".
In half an hour Clark had followed Christian to
the edge of a cornfield they
used to play in as children. Clark followed
Christian through the long grass.
"I remember this place.." he said smiling and looking around.
"Clark this stuff with Lana.." Christian said a
more serious demeanour over
coming him.
"..There used to be a fence here".
"..It hasn't got anything to do with when we were kids".
"Huh?"
"That fence that used to be here - it fell down
-nearly fell on me - and you
-you were seven and you stopped it".
"You remember that huh?" Clark said, nervously.
Who else was going to find
out? Too many people knew already.
"Don't look so worried Clark. I'm not going to
tell anyone, the less I know
the better".
"Then why bring it up?" Clark asked, defensive and annoyed.
"I wanted you to know I remember, it was pretty
weird this seven year old kid
lifting a massive fence but that's not what I
remember most about you. You
were always a good friend and you still are now
even though we hadn't spoken in
like seven years. I mean most straight guys
freak if they find out one of
their friends is gay".
"It makes no difference to me".
"Maybe that's because I was straight with you
about it. The power of secrets
Clark is that they're secret and they involve
lying and the lying is usually
worse than the secret".
"I think that's why Lana is so pissed off, because I lied".
"But if it's an honourable lie Clark, sometimes
secrets have to be secret for a
reason. The world isn't black and white, Lana
should realise that".
"I guess," Clark said. "When did you get so wise?"
"You have to make a lot of mistakes Clark,"
Christian said looking out across
the field towards a small farmhouse. Some
mistakes he had enjoyed more than
others.
Graduation Day 2005
"When you're weary, feeling small, when tears are
in your eyes I will dry them
all," Christian sang. He was stood in front of
the glee club who were stood in
five neat rows, Seniors in graduation robes, the
younger students in smart
clothes.
"Mr Kent take your place," Coach whispered
annoyed as he shoved Clark in the
direction of the glee club. Clark smiled at the
boy next to him embarrassed as
he stood at the end of the row.
"Sail on silver girl sail on by," the choir sang.
Lex held Lillian in one arm as he held a state of
the art video camera in the
other. Chloe afraid to watch signalled to her
Dad to take hold of the baby and
Lex handed her to him.
"Clark has changed," Gabe Sullivan said to
Martha. "He would have been too shy
to sing in public before".
"Well I guess no-one else can hear him in a group
anyway," Martha replied
smiling. "I think he just wanted to help his
teacher out, they were lacking
bass singers". Clark had always got good
grades but he had really come into
his own in his senior year, becoming sub editor
of The Torch and practically
running it single handed during the later stages
of Chloe's pregnancy, joining
the glee club, the Student Arts and Student
Volunteer committees and the swim
team. Martha and Jonathan believed swimming was
probably the fairest sport
Clark could join in respect of his powers. Then
there was the flying and the
fact Clark had decided all by himself to travel
the world rather than go
straight to college.
The glee club finished their performance and
there was a large applause from
the other students, staff, family and friends who
had all come to take part in
the ceremony. `Bridge over troubled water' had
been Christian's choice since
Clark had stated `You'll never walk alone' by
Gerry and the Pacemakers would
make them sound like a British soccer crowd.
Lana stood at the front of the glee club felt
pretty miserable. Clark had his
parents, Chloe had her father, Lex and the baby,
Christian had his grandparents
and who did she have? Nel could not get away
from her new job and Henry Small
was helping some cause in West Africa. She was
alone again on what was
supposed to be this great day. Jason had turned
up but she did not want him
here. What made it all worse was the fact Clark
was still adamant he did not
want her anymore. They all sat down and it was
time for the awards. Everyone
in the football team got a little medal, Clark
got an award for coming first in
a recent swimming race, completely unfair Lana
thought since he put no effort
in for that whatsoever, he also along with four
other students got an
`outstanding contribution' award I suppose for
all his contribution to the
school though his first three years had been
pretty half arsed. Christian got
an award for being top in Physics and of course
for music, though for him he
just opened his mouth and the sound came out.
Lana had a lot to live up to
with her mother being valedictorian but though
Lana had good enough grades to
get into college she had failed to excel. What
made it worse was despite her
three months studying in Paris she had come
second in the Art exhibition to
Halle Nichols. Though she never usually cared
about that sort of thing today
it really mattered. Or did it? Was this
bitterness due to the fact that
no-one was here for her yet again?
"And now to address the school, alumni and guests
the class of 2005's
valedictorian Miss Chloe Sullivan," Principal
Reynolds announced and the crowd
burst into rapturous applause as Chloe stepped up
to the lectern. She flushed
embarrassed, her hands were shaking and she
looked over at Lex and the baby and
her dad. After childbirth she could do anything.
"Thank you," she said. "First let me say I never
once dreamed it would be me
stood here making this address today. I also
know there were many of you who
tried to stop me because as most of you know I'm
an unmarried mother. I want
to take this opportunity to say that none of us
are perfect, perfection is not
what being Valedictorian is about. It's about
honour, achievement, setting an
example and working your ass off". There was
laughter. "We all have our flaws
but me having a child is not one of them, in fact
being Valedictorian comes no
way close to being a mother. However we all want
success and we all want
recognition and something like this is a big
boost to the ego. To see how well
everyone has done today makes all the hard work
worthwhile-".
Lex watched his girlfriend as Jonathan filmed the
speech for him. Chloe was so
smart, so beautiful and wonderful and for once
Lex felt he belonged. He
actually had everything he wanted now. He just
hoped this time, as he patted
the ring in his pocket, Chloe would not say no.
"Lastly I would like to thank my father for all
the fantastic support he has
shown me over the past year and well my whole
life really, thank you everyone,"
Chloe said, she felt like crying but instead
tried her best to smile. She did
not want to turn into some soppy mess like
Gwyneth Paltrow or Halle Berry at
the Oscars. She would save that for her first
Pulitzer prize.
As everyone went up to the podium to receive
their scrolls Principal Reynolds
shook their hand and people's pictures were
taken.
"Mr Kent," Principal Reynold's cried and he
almost laughed in amazement. "You
know I'm not sure you want to know this but you
came a pretty close second to
Miss Sullivan".
"Me?" Clark asked surprised.
"I suppose it came down to who had worked the hardest for the longest".
"I'm just glad I didn't have to make a speech".
Principal Reynolds laughed at
this and the cameraman took their picture.
Lana was next and Clark waved to her as he went back to his seat.
Once everyone had received their scrolls the
graduates threw their hats in the
air which proceeded to blow away in a huge gust
of wind.
"Clark was that you?" Chloe asked quietly.
"Chloe no, we have to return those hats
remember," Clark cried as everyone
began chasing after them.
Lana was laughing trying to get a hold of one
when she was distracted by a
voice from the crowd.
"Lana," Henry cried and she ran towards him immediately.
"What, how did you get here?" Lana exclaimed.
"By plane like everyone else, I'm sorry I missed it Lana".
"You're here now Henry that's all that matters".
"Where's Nell?"
"She couldn't come," Lana said and Henry
immediately felt even more guilty.
"I'm sorry Lana".
"Lana I got you your hat back," Clark said
handing it to her. "Hello Mr
Small".
"Clark, hello," Henry said. "That's a hell of a
lot of jewellery you've got
there". "Oh my awards yeh," Clark said
embarrassed.
"Hey are you two coming?" Chloe cried. "Lex is
inviting everyone back to the
mansion oh and Mr Small you're welcome too".
"Well if a Luthor is paying," Henry remarked and
he, Clark and Lana followed
Chloe.
Clark and Chloe sat eating a large chocolate cake
in Lex's kitchen. The room
was huge and almost like a restaurant kitchen in
that respect. They had
decided to escape briefly from Christian's
singing, Lex gushing about how
wonderful Chloe and the baby were and everyone
telling Clark he was a `dark
horse'.
"Clark, what do you think you'll do with your
powers? I mean you weren't
planning on hiding them forever I assume," Chloe
said as she piled her fork up
with another mound of chocolate. She had to make
up the extra calories for
breast feeding some how.
"Well I'd like to use them to help people".
"Which you kind of do already".
"Yeh but there are certain things I have to watch
happen because if I used my
powers everyone would see".
"And what would be so bad if you told everyone anyway?"
"I could never have a normal life, remember Eric when he got my powers-"
"So that's what happened," Chloe cried excitedly. "How did that happen?"
"Well it was a mixture of lightning and Kryptonite".
"Maybe there's a way you could still use your
powers and still just be a
regular person," Chloe said thoughtfully.
"Maybe".
"You know you did really well Clark".
"Says you Miss Valedictorian".
"I know I still can't believe it".
"You know I'm gonna miss you Chloe," Clark said taking hold of Chloe's hand.
"I'll miss you too Clark," Chloe said as Lex walked into the kitchen.
"Hey hands off my missus," he cried and Chloe a
little pissed off by that
remark decided to ignore it as Clark took his
hand away. Clark would think he
was just joking but since she had found out
Clark's secret Lex not knowing what
really was going on was starting to suspect there
was something between them.
He knew Clark would never do anything but Lex was
just as jealous of any
possible feelings as well as actions.
"Anyway I better go and see Mom and Dad I haven't
really spoken to them much,"
Clark said and he left the kitchen.
Chloe, full of cake still felt a need to do
something now she and Lex were
alone. Reading her mind as she stood up he put
his arms around her and kissed
her on the lips gently at first and then more
passionately as he could hear
Chloe's breathing getting heavier. Her need for
him was as much as it had
been, they had not been together much more than a
year after all.
"You know it's been five months," Chloe said.
"Much longer than the six weeks
the doctor said".
"What you want to do it right now, in the kitchen?" Lex asked, smiling.
"Well no but we could sneak upstairs," Chloe replied.
"So Clark what are you doing after graduation?"
Felice asked, an irritating
blonde asked.
"I erm am going to England," Clark replied.
"Wow, are you going to College there?"
"I'm not sure I'm going to College, I just want
to see some of the world, you
know see what's out there".
"That's nice," Felice said flicking back her hair
as Lana approached. "Lana
did you know Clark's going to England?"
"Yeh I am aware," Lana remarked annoyed. "Clark can I have a word?"
"Yeh sure," Clark said.
"We were talking," Felice snapped, she sounded like a spoilt brat.
"And it was nice," Clark said as he followed Lana
out onto the balcony.
Another couple were stood outside but after Clark
blew some cold air in their
direction, they decided the wind was too cold and
to go indoors.
"You look sad Lana," Clark said. "Are you OK?"
"I just think its starting to sink in, you know
that's it for high school now
we've got to grow up and make lives for
ourselves" Lana said, thoughtfully.
"Yeh I suppose the last time we'll all see each other is next week".
"Oh yeh you're going to cook for us," Lana said smiling.
"Don't look so sceptical, I can cook".
"You're not going to use that eye thing are you?"
Lana asked sticking her hand
up in front of her eyes and waving.
"No Lana I figured I'd use regular pots and pans and an oven".
"I wish you didn't have to go".
"Well other people are leaving too," Clark said
starting to feel guilty though
he knew he had no real reason to. He had to do
what he wanted for once.
"Chloe and Lex are moving to Metropolis with the
baby when Chloe starts her
journalism degree and Christian is going to New
York-".
"Don't remind me".
"I thought you would have caught the travelling bug from going to Paris".
"Well it's not as easy as that Clark, I just got
back the Talon and I don't
have any money to go to college," Lana said.
"What's Lex doing about the Talon?"
"Everything will be the same except he'll be in
Metropolis," Lana said.
"Clark, why are you going to travel?"
"Lana I can fly I might as well use my ability
and besides I want to learn
about the world, see places, experience other
cultures, Lana this is going to
be the best experience of my life," Clark said
and Lana's heart sank at his
enthusiasm. She had never seen him so excited,
he had been going on about all
the stuff he was going to do for weeks. Stuff he
was going to do without
her.
"Are you sure you're not running away from something?" Lana asked.
"You never give up do you?" Clark replied annoyed.
"What?"
"You're purposely manipulating this
conversation". Suddenly a loud high
pitched noise pierced through Clark's brain.
Kalel, the time has come
Clark placed his hands on his head and cried out in pain.
"Clark are you OK?"
"It's my father," he said.
"Jonathan?"
"No, it's Jorel," Clark said. "I have to go".
"Let me go with you".
"Lana knowing my father - Jorel - it's gonna be weird".
"Please Clark you shouldn't go alone," Lana
insisted and Clark scooped her up
in his arms. "Oh no you're not flying me".
"We don't have time to argue," Clark said and
looking behind them he began to
float up the side of the mansion, making sure to
avoid any windows and then
began flying over the fields of Smallville. Lana
was terrified and if Clark
was not invulnerable she would have bruised his
arms very badly indeed she was
holding on so tight. She kept her eyes closed
but could feel the air getting
colder.
The noise had stopped as Clark flew in the direction of the caves.
"Lana open your eyes," Clark said as they flew over the main street of the town.
"No".
"You're not going to get hurt".
"You used to be scared of heights".
"That's before I knew I could fly, open your eyes".
Lana slowly opened her eyes and seeing the street
so far below her screamed and
closed them again, Clark laughed. She opened her
eyes and saw that she
recognised the Talon.
"It looks so small from up here," she said. They
landed at the mouth of the
caves a few minutes later and Lana followed Clark
holding onto his arm, she
could not see much.
"Well," Clark said holding out his arms shouting
at the brightly patterned
walls.
There was silence.
"Are you sure your father wanted you to come here?" Lana asked, frowning.
"That's what I felt, I heard his voice, a
horrible noise, this has happened
before".
Except Kalel, this time, you are ready.
The Previous Spring..
"Hey," Chloe said as she walked into the Talon
that evening. Lex was sat
reading the Smallville Ledger drinking a cup of
tea. He had felt like
something different from coffee.
"Hi," Lex said. "How are you?"
"Fine," Chloe replied and she sat next to him and
lowered her voice. She
noticed Lana at the counter and looking in their
direction. "I just wanted to
make sure everything was OK, you know thought we
could have the mandatory post
date talk".
"Really?" Lex asked looking up from his
newspaper and into Chloe's face. She
was so gorgeous he wanted to kiss her right now.
He could actually feel
himself getting hot, thankfully he never blushed
not since he was a little boy.
If looking did this much to him well. "What does
that involve then?"
"Oh the usual, we discuss whether we enjoyed
ourselves and whether we want to
do it again".
"Well I say yes to both of those things," Lex said.
"Just one other thing, what do we tell people? I
mean we can't can we? If the
press found out you were dating a high school
student".
"Chloe you are the press".
"Very funny, I'm being serious Lex".
"No you're right it would be best to be discreet,
we wouldn't want your father
finding out," Lex said. "I did fire him".
"And he'll get a new job soon".
"Firing aside Chloe I did spend two hours last
night kissing his teenage
daughter".
"I'm just glad you shaved".
"I don't need to shave Chloe".
"Oh I thought it was just your hair, I mean head
hair that you lost in the
meteor shower".
"No, I lost most of it".
"What like body hair - you have eyebrows though?"
Chloe said, surprised and
wrinkling her face up in that cute way that she
did.
"Well yeh I have eyebrows but there is other hair
that is missing - at least
now it won't be a surprise," Lex said and Chloe
could feel her stomach doing
summersaults. With her previous dates, she
couldn't even call them boyfriends
as they would have had to last more than five
minutes to be that, body hair and
nakedness had never really been an issue, sex had
never been an issue. Now she
was seventeen and it looked like sex was about to
be an issue, one she could
easily contemplate exploring - with Lex.
"It's not like I have anyone to compare you to -
I mean," Chloe said the words
just falling out of her mouth and she blushed
realising what she was implying.
"Did I just say that?"
"We'd have to talk about it sooner or later Chloe".
"We've only been on one date".
"Maybe we should go on a second".
"But we can't go anywhere if we're supposed to be keeping it a secret".
"We can go where nobody knows us," Lex replied smiling.
"You're going to Mexico," Lana exclaimed laughter
in her voice. Was Chloe an
alien too or what now? Chloe began packing some
essentials into a blue
rucksack. "How long are you going for?"
"Just for tonight, Lex is taking me to a restaurant".
"There are plenty of restaurants in Grandville or Edge City".
"But someone might see us there, Lex can fly us
to Mexico in his jet in like a
few hours".
"When did you decide this?"
"Last night".
"So that's why you came straight home without
going to the Torch, your dad
thinks you're sick," Lana said. "You and Lex?
When did this all happen?"
"I've always had a bit of a crush on Lex, haven't you?"
"Not really - he's just my boss," Lana lied
shaking her head in disbelief.
"Chloe are you crazy?"
"Lex are you crazy, I mean Chloe?" Clark
exclaimed, amazed. He had popped
round for a game of pool and a chat and had been
greeted with the site of Lex
packing a red rucksack.
"We're just going on a date Clark - nothing else".
"To Mexico?"
"Acapulco to be more specific, I know a great
place there. I'm gonna do this
right this time Clark".
"But Chloe's still at school".
"You know Clark in less than a year Chloe is
going to be 18 and no-one is going
to care how old we are, it's only six years
difference".
"And you're just going to a restaurant, where are you going to stay?"
"We can sleep in the jet on the way home".
"Wow - you and Chloe," Clark said and he sat down
on a burgundy leather chair
by the fireplace. "My two best friends".
"You can't tell anyone Clark, the minute anyone
else knows about this it's
ruined".
"Don't worry Lex I won't tell anyone, just
promise you won't hurt her, and be
honest," Clark said and a look of sadness swept
over his face. "I wasn't
honest with Chloe about Lana and she was really
hurt".
"Like I said Clark I wanna get this right".
"Well good luck Lex," Clark said. "Is it OK if I
hang around here? I don't
really feel like going home".
"Sure Clark, Lana troubles again?"
"Do I have any others these days?"
"Well it seems every week you've got some new problem Clark"
"Well yeh, there's always something happening in
this town," Clark said.
"Can't wait till I leave".
"Well not yet I hope".
"Well not yet but eventually".
There was a knock at the door and one of Lex's
staff bought Chloe into the
library.
"Clark," Chloe said surprised.
"Hey Chloe," Clark said smiling.
"We better go," Lex said. "See you later Clark".
"You guys have a great time," Clark said and
Chloe smiled glad that Clark
seemed OK with this - unlike Lana.
"Bye Clark," Chloe said and she and Lex headed
for the car outside which would
take them to the airfield and their second date.
It was late afternoon the next day and Clark was
sawing into a piece of wood
with his hand. He had decided to take some wood
from a fallen tree to make the
cross look more authentic but then remembered
Christian had to hang off it so
he would have to sand it down pretty well. He
could hear Pete singing in the
auditorium from the art room with his super
hearing. Pete was pretty talented
and under Mr Hansen's direction he was getting
better. It was amazing the
potential that was hidden inside people - he
should know. Clark quickly picked
up a saw as he heard footsteps down the hall.
"Clark", Chloe said as she walked into the room.
"Hey Chloe," Clark said with a sheepish smile
standing up and putting his saw
on the floor. He had just remembered that other
than the brief moment he had
seen her last night the last time he had seen her
was when he was in her
bedroom with Lana.
"Clark, Lana told me about the other night - I'm
sorry I ever thought you would
get heavy with anyone let alone Lana".
"That's OK, Lana was upset and I was lying on her
bed and well you just put two
and two together".
"Well you were always better at maths," Chloe
said looking around the room.
The painted sets were almost finished and hung up
to dry, other props were in
the process of being made, Clark had been busy.
"Wow Clark - did you do all
this?"
"I had some help".
"These backdrops look great".
"Thanks".
"You know at the risk of sounding like a teacher
Clark I always thought there
was more in than you let on, being modest is
great but you could achieve a lot
more. If you put all that energy you spend
moping about Lana into school -
" Chloe said and she paused for a moment. "Then
you're always saving somebody
or helping someone out - you can do things to
help yourself too".
"We're not all as ambitious as you Chloe".
"See I think you are Clark, you're as good a writer as me and -".
"Really?"
"Yes silly, you just let me boss you around".
"I kinda like it," Clark said smiling and Chloe
gently hit him on the shoulder.
"Chloe - how was last night?"
"Ahh I did wonder when we'd get onto that".
"I just hope you had a good time".
"It was fantastic," Chloe said and she sighed.
"Hey I don't need to know any of the gory
details," Clark said holding up his
hand briefly.
"Nothing like that happened Clark, we're gonna
wait a while," Chloe said. "Do
you think that's lame?"
"No, that's cool, you have to be sure Chloe
especially if it's your first
time," Clark replied. "Sorry I don't want to
embarrass you-" "No you're
right, I've never, have you?"
"Me? No" Clark said almost too insistent.
"You know a lot of guys wouldn't admit it".
"Well I'm not a lot of guys," Clark said in a way
that he knew he sounded like
a clich. He laughed and Chloe could see Clark
was actually blushing but he
kept on talking. "My dad always said you have to
be real comfortable with
someone to do something like that and trust them
100%, Mom used to say `if you
can't walk around naked in front of someone then
you shouldn't be having sex
with them'".
"You're mom used to say that?"
"Yeh her and Dad have always been into that `open about sex' parenting deal".
Chloe picked up a wooden bowl, felt how smooth it
was and then put it down
again.
"Clark, what did happen between you and Lana the other night?"
"Let's just say she saw the real me," Clark said, apparently glum.
"I would have thought that would be a good
thing", Chloe replied quietly and
she turned towards the doorway and the pair could
hear laughing in the hall.
"Someone sounds happy".
Lana and Jason appeared in the doorway giggling
and Jason leant over to kiss
Lana. Noticing Clark and Chloe watching she
pulled away.
"Hey guys," Jason said. "Wow look at all this
cool stuff - did you do all this
Clark?"
Clark nodded and smiled, Jason was a nice guy, a
nice guy who was holding
Lana's hand.
"This sort of thing comes naturally to Clark,"
Lana remarked, Clark was annoyed
at this, having super powers did not make you
good at art and even if it did so
what?
"So are rehearsals finished for today?" Chloe
asked, she could cut the tension
with a knife.
"Yeh, I'm taking Lana for a pizza," Jason said
smiling. He reminded Chloe of
Whitney in some ways.
"Yeh it's not Mexico but I like it," Lana remarked glancing at Chloe.
Mexico? Jason thought. There was definitely
something odd going on between
Lana and her friends he would do good to stay out
of. They all stood silent
for a moment not looking at each other.
"Anyway we better go," Jason said and he and Lana carried on down the hall.
"Well that was awkward," Chloe said.
"Yeh I'm sorry".
"I suppose you and Lana will be friends again
soon you always make up in the
end," Chloe said. "And this time next year none
of this will matter".
(2005)
"What exactly am I ready for?" Clark shouted out
at the wall and then realised
there was probably no need to shout.
"To face your destiny Kalel," the voice of Jorel replied.
"Kalel?" Lana asked, frowning.
"It was the name my biological parents gave me,"
Clark replied surprised he had
not told Lana that before. "I thought you had
finished with me last
summer".
Lana looked around at the cave walls, nervously,
where was the voice coming
from? This was all so weird and scary no wonder
Clark was so affected by this
place.
"The girl should leave, this is your path to follow Kalel - alone".
"Maybe you should go Lana it's not safe in here".
"You don't have to listen to him Clark - he's dead," Lana remarked, annoyed.
"I know I don't have to listen but I want to, it can't hurt to listen".
"Ok Clark," she said and she nodded and made her
way out of the cave Clark
surprised by the ease with which he had got to
her leave.
"Why do I have to be alone?" Clark asked after Lana had left.
"You are young, you will not be alone forever but
this journey is best
undertaken alone with no hindrances".
"What journey?"
"When you were with me before that was your
preparation for what is to come.
You are now ready to leave Kalel, leave those
behind who have shaped the man
you have become. To discover the third planet
and its people. ".
"How do you interact with me as though you're still alive?" Clark asked.
"I am your fathers memory, a telepathic imprint, I react just as he would".
"So it's like you live forever".
"I live on in you as you will live on in your children".
"You know I've already decided to travel, you
don't need to try and convince me
this time".
"I know you are having doubts".
"It's only because I'm not sure I want to leave Lana".
"And yet she causes you so much pain".
"Isn't that what real loves about?" Clark quipped.
"No, not at all. Not when there is no joy in
return," Jorel replied quite
seriously and it made Clark think. Was Lana
right for him?
"I always thought love was a human thing".
"But you discovered the relics I left from my time on Earth".
"Yeh, I learned you were in love once too".
"I was young. But even now I appreciate
humanity. I would not have sent you
here if I did not believe in the compassion,
nobility and potential in these
people. You will help them find the good in
themselves Kalel".
"So if you want me to leave and I want to leave - what is this all about?"
"This is goodbye Kalel - it is time to face your
future. And one warning - the
path will not be an easy one. You must keep your
eyes open for those who will
try and stop you in your goals".
"You said you would be with me all the days of my
life - I always remembered
that".
"And I will, I and your ancestors are with you in
everything you do - remember
that. You do not need my guidance now but one
day in the future if you need me
again I will be there for you - my son".
"Don't go," Clark cried out but there was
nothing. Just the cave walls - the
map of Clark's destiny.
Lionel walked into the mansion library that
morning to find Lex and Chloe
tidying up. Clark, his parents, Lana and Pete
were also helping out in another
room in the house.
"There was a party and I wasn't invited why son I
am offended," Lionel quipped
looking around at the mess. "Oh yes the class of
2005 graduated
yesterday".
"What are you doing here? I thought we agreed
you were never to come back to
Smallville" Lex asked, annoyed.
"I came to see my granddaughter, is that a crime?"
"She's asleep," Chloe said.
"You should be lucky I would even show an
interest in that bastard child,"
Lionel said looking at Lex and ignoring Chloe.
"Especially after what you did
to me".
"What was that exactly?" Chloe snapped. "You
tried to blackmail me because I
wouldn't find out stuff about Clark for you,
fired my father, made Lex think he
was crazy, tried to kill me and my father and Lex
and you're accusing Lex of
something".
"He's with you Miss Sullivan, that's enough of a
betrayal regardless of the
fact you both let a dying man go to prison,"
Lionel replied. "She's only after
your money son, can't you see that? Either that
or she thinks if she stays
with you I'll leave her alone"
"I still live with my father, Lex doesn't give me
anything except for the baby
and I can take care of myself" Chloe said. "I'm
not scared of you".
"Chloe maybe you should go and see to Lillian, me
and my father need to discuss
this between the two of us," Lex said seriously.
"I'll tell you everything
when we're done".
"OK," Chloe said and she left the room. Lex was
surprised at how easily she
left, what he did not know was that she was
planning on asking Clark to
eavesdrop for her.
"Are you OK son?" Jonathan asked as Clark swept
the same spot on the floor for
the fiftieth time.
"I know it sounds dumb but its like I'm gonna
miss him, a strange voice - he
wasn't really a person. He died like 18 years
ago," Clark replied. "You know,
why are we wasting our time doing this?" Clark
began whooshing around the room
tidying at superspeed and at this point Chloe
entered the room. Clark finished
tidying and the room looked spotless.
"You mean we've been doing this for the past hour
and you could have done the
whole house in like a minute?" she said smiling.
Lana was annoyed as she
finished putting the cushions back on the sofa.
She did not know what it was
but sometimes she hated Clark using his powers -
she blamed them for keeping
them apart. It was because of them he had had
any secrets in the first place.
That and it made him different to her - his
powers were like an invisible
barrier sometimes she could not get her head
around. What was more irritating
was that Chloe seemed fine with it - she liked
his powers. "Clark can you
listen in on Lex and his Dad for me - I've been
dismissed from the room?"
"Chloe I can't do that - it's not right".
"Clark you listen in on people all the time".
"Only when I need to".
"I'm sorry I just hate him being here," Chloe
said. "I mean how can Lex talk
to him as though nothing has happened after
everything he has done to all of
us?"
"None of us want him here Chloe but he is Lex's
father," Jonathan remarked.
"Now I suppose we better get started on the
gardens".
"This may be a hard concept for you to understand
but Chloe loves me she
doesn't care about the money and she's not with
me because she's scared of you"
Lex cried. "That's just a paranoid idea on your
part, wouldn't it make more
sense for her to break up with me because of what
you've done to us?"
"If it wasn't for your money she wouldn't be able to move to Metropolis".
"Moving to Metropolis is good for both of us".
"And all the while son she's making a fool of you".
"How's that?"
"You must have noticed what's going on between her and Clark Kent".
"Her and Clark have been friends for years, he's Lillian's Godfather".
"You haven't noticed the way they talk quietly
and shut up when you walk in the
room, the way they look at each other," Lionel
said.
"Unless you've been spying Dad how would you know? You haven't been around".
"On your orders son, so I've had to keep an eye
on things, otherwise I'd have
no idea what's going on - like you seem to have
no idea Lex".
"And what do I have no idea about exactly?"
"Clark Kent - like me you've had your suspicions for some time".
"Suspicions?"
Chloe noticed Clark had not being paying
attention at all for the past few
minutes as she had been talking.
"Clark you said you weren't going to listen in on them".
"They're talking about me Chloe".
"What are they saying Clark?" Jonathan asked, the
usual intenseness in his
voice that was always present when there was a
possibility Clark was in
danger.
"Chloe and Clark are just friends, they've been
friends for years, Clark's my
friend too," Clark relayed to the group in a
monotone as he carried on
listening.
"What exactly is Lionel Luthor accusing us off?" Chloe exclaimed angrily.
"It's the secret Chloe," Lana said. "Now you know about Clark and Lex doesn't".
"So what?"
"Shhh you two," Clark hissed, angrily.
"I wasn't suggesting something as vulgar as Chloe
having an affair with Clark
Lex, Clark would never do that. I was thinking
perhaps something even worse.
Could it be possible that Chloe knows about
Clark, what you've wanted to know
for the past four years? What nearly broke up
your friendship with Clark for
good?" Lionel said. Lex could not tell whether
Lionel really knew something or
not, Lionel was such a convincing liar perhaps he
did not even know
himself.
"Chloe would have told me," Lex said, unable to
hide the emotion from his voice
as well as his face.
"What if Clark told her not to?"
"Look Dad I don't know what this is about. What
kind of test you're putting me
through, what kind of sick minded scheme, whether
you just want Chloe and I
split up, I don't care - just get out".
"Even if I offered to tell you what it is about
Clark Kent that has kept us all
baffled, in exchange for you not marrying Chloe
Sullivan, would you turn it
down?"
Lex hesitated.
Chloe back in the other room waited for Clark to relay the answer.
"I haven't asked her to marry me yet, I was going
to do it the other night
but.."
"Regardless, I make no secret of the fact I do
not think she and that child are
good enough for my son".
"That child is my daughter".
"You didn't answer me Lex".
"Just get out," Lex said and Lionel shrugged his
shoulders and made his way to
the doorway.
"I know you're trying to do the honourable thing
Lex, but just because you get
some girl knocked up-"
Lex shook his head, it had been much more than that.
Chloe, her heart racing, looked along the chemist
shelves. Ahh condoms. Right
next to the pregnancy tests, not exactly
reassuring, she thought with a smile.
OK ribbed ones, extra safe, extra sensitive,
fruit flavoured, extra large, how
about just regular plain old condoms? Extra
safe? Chloe picked up a box and
looked around to make sure she saw no-one she
knew. She had thought about
going to a chemist out of Smallville but how sad
would that have been? She was
perfectly legal and grown up enough to buy some
dumb old condoms. And Lex
would be impressed she had come prepared and
probably glad that after four
weeks she had finally come to the decision.
And she was ready. She had seen Lex naked, he
had seen her naked, she had
touched him and everything and he had touched
her. There was just one last
step to take and Chloe couldn't wait!
She turned round to walk to the cash desk and bumped right into Jonathan Kent.
"Hi Chloe," he said smiling and then looked down
at the box of condoms in her
hand. She flushed bright red and he nearly did
too. "I just came to get my
medicine".
"Look I won't embarrass you any longer Mr Kent,
I'll just go and pay for these
and we'll say no more about - it," her voice
trailed off at the end of the
sentence as she almost ran to the counter to pay.
Jonathan wondered who the
lucky man was but also hoped to God Chloe knew
what she was doing.
She paid for the condoms ignoring the funny looks
from Mrs Fredericks and
smiling at Jonathan ran out of the chemist and
into her car. No time like the
present.
"Chloe you're early," Lex said looking at his
watch, it was six o'clock and
Chloe did not usually come round till about
seven.
"Is that OK?" Chloe asked smiling closing the door behind her.
"No it's fine, did you want some dinner?"
"I thought we could eat afterwoulds," Chloe said
throwing her bag down in the
hallway and she put her hands around his waist
and they began to kiss
passionately in the hallway. The only sound was
of their breath and their lips
moving.
"Let's go upstairs," Lex whispered and Chloe took
the box of condoms out of her
bag and followed him up to the bedroom. "What
are they?" Lex nodded to the
box of condoms in Chloe's hand.
"I thought I better come prepared, just in case we want to".
"Oh I want to," Lex said as he began to kiss
Chloe again, she began undoing his
shirt that clumsy way she always did. "I love
you".
"I love you too," Chloe replied her stomach
leaping at the sexy way Lex always
said those three words to her as his shirt
slipped onto the bed. She liked his
chest, it was completely smooth but not plastic
looking like some gross body
builder, it was more masculine than that. Chloe
took her jacket off and threw
it across the room hitting a lamp and Lex burst
out laughing as Chloe flushed
embarrassed and he pushed her down onto the bed.
Chloe could feel a longing, a
feeling, in her stomach, was it her womb? She
wasn't sure but whatever it was
it made her want Lex inside her right at that
minute. She was scared but she
didn't care. Chloe sat up and took her top off
and grabbed Lex's crotch.
"There it is again," Chloe said. "Whenever I take my top off".
"It was hard before that," Lex replied taking off
her pretty purple bra and he
began kissing her breasts, his kisses gradually
going lower down her body. He
pulled her skirt up and pulled the matching
purple French knickers down. Was
he going to go down on her again? Chloe thought.
Last time she had nearly wet
herself from excitement, nearly came. The
`nearly' had annoyed Lex but Chloe
had read enough sex columns to know that the
female orgasm was more elusive
than the media would let you believe. She knew
when she could let go she would
let go big style. Chloe took off her skirt and
Lex began touching her. She
laid down so she could touch his penis at the
same time. They began kissing
again and Chloe gasped as Lex dug two of his
fingers inside her. Just fuck me
Lex, she thought. Should she say it? No he
would probably keep on teasing her
till she was going to explode if she said that.
He was sadistic in that
way.
Lex opened the box of condoms, took out one and Chloe grabbed it.
"Let me see," she said and she felt its rubbery material. "It's quite thin".
"Thankfully," Lex said and he put it on. Chloe
could not look, ahhh! It was
going to be in her any minute now.
Lex lay on top of her and after a bit of fumbling
about began to push it in
inside her.
"Ow," Chloe said.
"Are you OK?" Lex asked, concerned. He actually
thought whether he had ever
made love to a virgin before and he was not sure
he had. He thought how
important this would be for Chloe, he could not
fuck it up. This was
serious.
"Carry on - it's got to go in there sometime,"
Chloe insisted. Lex pushed
harder and it stopped hurting, Chloe gasped as
she felt him inside her. She
wasn't sure how but she knew how to move her body
with his and she grabbed his
arse, wanting him as deep inside her as possible.
Lex groaned and it was all
over. Chloe looked at the clock, after all that
and from her coming to the
door to Lex coming, it had been about twenty
minutes. They both breathed
deeply staring into each others eyes and Lex
smiled embarrassed. He always
felt embarrassed after sex for the first few
times anyway. Chloe smiled too
and Lex got up off of her slowly and carefully.
In all the excitement when he
took off the condom and put it in the bin next to
the bed he neglected to see a
tiny little tear in the top of it.
"I am starving," Chloe said sat up on the bed and
she grabbed one of Lex's
bathrobes.
"Not getting dressed?" Lex asked.
"What's the point?" Chloe replied with a cheeky
grin. "When my dinners gone
down, we're doing that again".
"Yes Mam," Lex said, stood to attention in more ways than one, Chloe thought.
"Hey Chloe," Clark cried and she turned away from
her locker embarrassed.
Would Clark be able to tell? No of course not,
it's not like he could see
inside her or something.
Chloe did look different, Clark thought. She was happy!
"Hi Clark". She wondered if Mr Kent had said
anything about the condoms. "Hey
Christian". Christian walked up behind Clark and
tapped him on the
shoulder.
"You look tired," Clark said and Chloe blushed.
"Do I?" she said nervously.
"Actually Chloe I meant Christian looks tired".
"Well Clark I would tell you why but I wouldn't
want to warp your innocent
mind," Christian said smiling.
Courtney Bryant who was handing out leaflets in
the halls approached Clark,
Chloe and Christian and handed them each a
leaflet.
"Abstinence drive tomorrow night at 7, should be fun," she said smiling.
"You do know I'm the schools resident queer
right?" Christian remarked in a
bitchy tone throwing the leaflet on the floor.
"Christian don't be like that," Clark said smiling sheepishly at Courtney.
"There's hope for everyone," Courtney said not
letting Christians comment
effect her in the slightest. "You can always
become a secondary virgin".
"We might come," Clark said picking Christian's
leaflet up and Courtney smiled
and carried on her crusade.
"What did you tell her that for?" Christian asked.
"I'm not really going," Clark replied. "I just felt sorry for her".
"Abstinence is proving pretty popular lately,"
Chloe said thoughtfully.
"Though it's not for everyone, I couldn't imagine
waiting till marriage".
"It might kind of nice to wait for the right person".
"The right person but not marriage, do you really
wanna end up a 30-year-old
virgin Clark?" Christian remarked as if the idea
was some how repugnant.
"Anyway are you two coming to the play
rehearsals?"
"Might as well," Clark said. "Nothing better to do"
"I need to get the pre show comments so yeh
sure," Chloe said. "Only three
weeks till curtain up".
"Can't wait," Christian said twirling around in
the hall linking arms with
Clark and Chloe, Clark was laughing and bumped
into Jason in the hall who was
with a jock wearing a football jacket.
"Sorry," Clark said.
"You should watch the company you keep Kent, you
were starting to be cool, but
hanging about with gay boy here, people will
start putting two and two
together," the jock said and he shoved Clark
slightly.
"Just because Clark is comfortable enough with
his sexuality to hang out with
Christian," Chloe said. "You guys strut around
whacking each other on the back
and grunting, thinking you're real men, you
wouldn't know a real man if he
punched you right in the face".
"Hey Jason, maybe that's why things didn't work
out between Clark and Lana,
Clark wasn't quite man enough for her".
"Do you wanna fight or what?" Clark exclaimed
angrily his face only an inch
from the jocks. Chloe had seen that Clark
before, in Metropolis.
"Clark don't mate you could really hurt him," Christian said.
"See he calls him his mate".
"Well?" Clark cried standing with his legs apart and holding up his fists.
"Come on David," Jason said. "I'm supposed to be at play rehearsals".
"OK," David said. "Let's leave the gay and the psycho to it".
"Bye," Clark said waving his hand in a rather
effeminate way and he noticed
Chloe looking at him rather disapprovingly. "I
didn't mean any of that, I
wouldn't really have fought with them".
"Well you're kind of scary when you act like that Clark," Christian said.
"Well that's not the real me, it's just the only
way to deal with people like
that".
"Come on guys, I think some of the costumes are
being fitted today," Chloe
said.
Lana walked up the steps to the top of the loft
where Clark was simultaneously
reading a book on astrophysics and one on
earthquakes for his science project.
He had been unable to put the complicated book by
Dr Swann down but had to do
his science homework and decided he could
probably do both at the same time,
and he could. This boy, unlike others could
definitely multitask.
"Hi Clark," Lana said smiling sheepishly.
"Lana," Clark said nervously and he stood up
knocking all his books to the
ground. God, why was it she still had the power
to make him feel like that
sometimes? Well it was different now. He had
become relaxed and comfortable
in her company when she didn't know his secret
and they had become friends, now
she knew his secret they would have to start all
over again.
"You're parents were surprised to see me".
"Well we haven't really spoken for a month,"
Clark said tidying his books up.
"Look can I just finish these notes I was making
for my Earth Quake
project?"
"I, OK," Lana said frowning. What was she
supposed to do? Watch him while he
did his homework.
Clark sat back down and began whizzing through
the book, Lana watched in
amazement, could his notes actually make sense
writing that fast. After three
minutes Lana's eyes were hurting, Clark was
moving faster than she could
follow. Another minute Clark closed his books,
looked up at Lana and smiled.
She laughed nervously at the weirdo and sat down
on a beanbag.
"Clark, I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you for a
while, it's just I've needed
time to get used to you and well I was angry that
you lied as well".
"I know but Lana you must understand that from
your reaction, you can see why I
didn't tell you," Clark said and he moved his
chair closer, leaned down and
took her hands. "But the feelings, they were
always real, I did love you".
"Did?" Lana asked, she felt the warmth of his
hands and was almost tempted to
kiss him again. But this Clark she wanted to
kiss, he was an illusion. The
real Clark had weird scary powers - the real
Clark wasn't even human. Even
more bitter tasting was the fact that the real
Clark was indirectly responsible
for the death of her parents.
"I do love you Lana, I know you loved me too, I
know you didn't know about my
secret but the powers, being an alien it's not
who I am. Who I am is what I've
shown you every day since we've known each
other," Clark said smiling and he
stood up and looked out of the loft window at the
sunset. Lana noticed he
could look directly at the bright yellow and
orange. "I'm Clark Kent. The
slightly geeky, slightly cool guy, who gets good
grades at school, the guy
who's always late, the guy always helping out the
old folks or saving someone
from a fire, the guy who's been in love with Lana
Lang since he was eight years
old. Lana being the guy who can lift up a car or
take a steel bullet, who can
see through things-"
"You can see through things," Lana said, tears forming in her eyes.
"They're like extra's, bonus features, the powers
are what makes it able for me
to help people, I know I lied but I lied to
protect you".
"What can you see in me Clark?" Lana asked.
"I can see you're heart is beating way too fast,
you're stomach is churning,
you're mouth is as dry as a bone and you're skin
- you're body is really
beautiful," Clark said and Lana began to shake as
if she were about to cry.
Clark leaned forward and wiped away the tear. So
close to her face he kissed
Lana gently on the lips. She kissed him back
passionately and Clark got out of
his chair and lay on top of her kissing her. She
could feel the warmth of his
arms around her as she placed her hands on his
back. She could feel him
getting hard.
"Clark," Lana said suddenly. "You're heavy".
"Sorry," Clark said smiling.
"Look Clark I shouldn't have done that. I came
to tell you Jason and I are
together now. I just wanted you to know that I
won't tell anyone you're
secret. Maybe we can still be friends".
"Friends," Clark said in a sulky tone and Lana couldn't help but snigger.
"You sound like a four year old who isn't allowed
any chocolate or
something,"she said.
"Nice to see you taking my feelings seriously as usual," Clark snapped.
"Clark I can forgive you but I can't be with you. It's too much".
Too much, too much bother? Too much hard work?
Too much to ignore about one
person? Did Lana see Clark as having some kind of
a disability in some
respects?
"You know you are too much Lana," Clark said.
"You kiss me, like you really
mean it, like you really want me and then tell me
you don't want me".
"I'm sorry Clark but I'm with Jason," Lana said.
"And I don't have to ask what he has that I
don't," Clark said sitting back
down. "He's normal".
"Yes Clark if I'm honest," Lana said. "He's
normal - Bye". Lana walked off
down the steps and Clark felt like crying, he
felt like crying like a little
girl and one tear escaped before he leant on the
table and buried his head in
his arms.
Back in 2005
"Can't explain the feelings that you're making me
feel," Clark sang, or almost
shouted as the kitchen radio blasted out. "My
hearts in overdrive and your
behind the steering wheel, touching me-eeeee,
touching you-uuuuu, touching me
`cos I'm touching you". He was nodding his head
up and down rather wildly and
chopping the mushrooms in time to the music as
Lex came in through the kitchen
door. "I believe in a thing called love just
listen to the rhythm of my
heart".
"Clark, Clark," he shouted and Clark immediately
turned around embarrassed and
turned the radio down.
"Lex," he said and he looked down at the mushrooms and continued chopping them.
"You always surprise me Clark - you can sing
falsetto as well now" Lex said.
Actually he thought Clark sounded awful, perfect
ears and vocal chords didn't
necessarily mean you could sound like Justin
Hawkins. Clark kind of shrugged
his shoulders as Lex looked around the tidy
kitchen, Clark obviously cleaned up
as he went along. "What are you cooking? I
don't see any meat".
"Christian is a vegetarian," Clark said.
"You and Christian are pretty close".
"He gives me space," Clark said sounding slightly
annoyed looking at Lex his
eyes open quite wide. "We can just hang out
without any issues".
"So you two aren't?"
"What?" Clark said and he laughed nervously. "No".
"I'm sorry Clark, I suppose now Chloe and I, and
the baby I haven't had as much
time".
"I'll always be your friend Lex," Clark said
looking at Lex and patting him on
the arm. "One day I'll hopefully be married
with kids and I won't have as
much time for you either. It's what happens,
people change, their
circumstances change".
"Like you're trip around the world".
"Exactly"
"Out of all the weird things about you Clark I
never would have seen you as the
type to shed all responsibility and go off like
that, I would have thought
you'd be off to college".
"I can still go to college," Clark said. "And
what responsibilities Lex? I'm
18, no girlfriend". Yep he had no
responsibility, except for his
responsibility to humanity and to saving people,
nope no responsibility at all
- except to the world.
"So what are you cooking tonight?"
"It's a surprise," Clark replied. "Whose baby sitting Lillian?"
"Chloe's father".
"Did you have anything in particular you wanted
to see me about Lex? I'm kinda
busy".
"Just wondered if you'd heard from the newspaper
in England I put you in touch
with".
"Yeh they said they can take me on as `unpaid
work experience'," Clark said.
"I suppose I can work in a bar in the evenings or
something, it'll only be over
the summer anyway".
"I warn you The Guardian has quite a reputation,
even as `unpaid work
experience' you won't have an easy ride".
"I'm sure I'll be able to handle it".
"Any other plans for when you go overseas?"
"Only that I want to see everything," Clark said smiling.
"I'll see you later Clark".
"What's this?" Lana asked as Clark placed a few
large bowls of curry and dishes
of rice on the table along with some onion bhaji,
mushroom bhaji and sag
cream.
"Cool," Chloe said. "It's not too hot is it?"
"No, well this one on the end is," Clark said. "Go ahead and try".
"Italian garlic mushrooms for starters and now
curry, what is this, an around
the world menu?" Lana asked.
"Well it's kind of appropriate since I am going
around the world," Clark said.
"Lana isn't used to anything more exotic than hot
sauce on her fries" Chloe
added smiling.
"I spent last summer in Europe," Lana snapped back.
"Come on ladies lets keep the claws in this
evening," Lex remarked helping
himself to portion of the hot curry and he
plonked it on the top of his saffron
rice. Christian smirked to himself as Lex tried
to hide his discomfort at
eating the hot curry. Lex coolly reached for his
glass of wine. It was
amazing how years of training could help hide the
most simple biological
reactions such as those caused by spicy food in
the mouth.
"So where are your parents tonight?" Lana asked Clark.
"They've gone to Metropolis, they're staying in some hotel".
"I hope me and Lex can be like them when we're
older," Chloe said smiling.
"What still together?" Christian remarked,
cynically.
"Aren't your parents still together?" Lex asked.
"Yeh they just don't want me around because I
sleep with men - I doubt Clark's
parents would do that hey".
"My parents aren't perfect," Clark said. "And
besides you're grandparents are
OK with it".
"My Gran thinks she knows everything because
she's watched `Will and Grace' a
couple a times".
"Actually I meant I hoped we were still sleeping
together at that age," Chloe
remarked and Lex looked up over his dinner and
winked at her.
"Eww gross how do you know my parents are still -
that is just," Clark remarked
disgust clearly present in his voice.
"Well your Mom was pregnant quite recently
Clark". Chloe didn't know whether
she should mention it but it had been two years
since the miscarriage and well
it was a fact. Ship or not that child had been
Jonathan's as well as Martha's.
"I would have loved a brother or sister," Clark
said. "That was a summer I'd
much rather forget and last summer too actually".
"And the summer before when there was the tornado wasn't much fun," Lana said.
"Actually my summer after freshman year was
pretty cool that was when I went to
the Daily Planet for my internship," Chloe said.
"And my summer last year was cool I was in Paris," Lana added.
"Well," Chloe said smiling and holding up her
glass of diet coke. "Here is to
a good summer for everyone wherever we are".
"Here here," Christian said as everyone clinked their glasses together.
"Well it won't be hard to top last summer since I
was in the hospital," Chloe
said.
"I still think it's amazing you survived that
explosion," Christian said. "How
did the baby survive?"
"A miracle I guess," Chloe said nervously trying
to avoid looking at either
Clark or Lex. It had been a miracle, the miracle
of a Junior doctor who had
stolen some of Clark's blood platelets from the
experiments carried out earlier
that year and just happened to have enough to
save Chloe's baby. "Anyway I'm
glad Lillian is here I wouldn't change her and
what's happened for the world.
But I would say this, enjoy your freedom when you
can - if you have the
choice".
Back in 2004
Chloe nervously stepped into Dr Mae's surgery and she asked her to sit down.
"Hi Chloe, what can I do for you today?" she asked.
"I'd like to go on the pill," Chloe replied. "I
have a boyfriend and we really
care for each other and-"
"Sure Chloe, let me just take your blood
pressure," Dr Mae said. "Just roll up
your sleeve". Chloe took off her denim jacket
and rolled up the sleeve of her
lime green long sleeved t-shirt. As the device
closed in on her arm Chloe
could feel her heart racing. She hated doctors;
she didn't know why they just
made her nervous. She had been in hospital a
couple of times and thought she
would be used to it by now.
"That's fine". The doctor undid the Velcro and
put the blood pressure taker
back on her desk. "Right let's weigh you now".
Chloe stood on the scales.
The doctor used old fashioned ones Chloe couldn't
see the reading on. "Chloe
when did you last have a period?" She stepped
off the scales.
"Er about a month ago I think," Chloe replied
smiling. "But mine aren't always
regular".
"That's perfectly normal for a girl your age, the
pill can regularise your
periods in some cases anyway. Are you sexually
active at the moment? Just
stand against the wall here - I need to measure
your height". Chloe stood
against the wall.
"I've been sexually active for a couple of
months," Chloe said. "We've been
using condoms".
"Well we better do a test just in case since you
haven't had a period lately,"
Dr Mae said and noticing Chloe's worried face she
smiled warmly at her. "I
wouldn't worry it's just routine".
Chloe took the test with her to the bathroom in
the doctors and since she was
nervous anyway managed to pee quite easily. She
took the wand back into the
doctor's room.
"Oh," Dr Mae said surprised. "Chloe according to this - you are pregnant".
"Oh no but I can't," Chloe said her stomach
churning. That was it she was
gonna be sick. "You said the test was just
routine".
"I'm sorry Chloe, lay down on the couch".
"What are you gonna do?"
"I just want to examine you, see how many weeks pregnant you are".
"No, no way," Chloe said, tears coming to her
eyes, her hands were shaking and
she threw up in the waste paper bin. The doctor
winced a bit and handed Chloe
a tissue when she was done.
"Chloe," she said. "You are pregnant, the best
thing we can do is try and
decide what you're going to do about it".
That night during the first night of the school
play all Chloe could think
about was how she was going to tell Lex, her
friends and most importantly her
father.
2005
Clark was in the kitchen making drinks, he
knocked together some fruit punch,
and could hear Christian murdering the piano in
the other room. As soon as he
had seen it he screamed and began going through
Martha's collection of sheet
music excitedly like a child. Lex, sat on the
sofa had hung his head in
disbelief and turned his attention to the
television. For those of normal
hearing Christian's bad playing was masked by his
excellent singing voice but
to Clark every bad note stabbed his ears like a
Kryptonite cotton bud in his
ear. Lex walked into the kitchen to find it
spotlessly clean. Clark put the
jug of beautifully coloured punch and six glasses
on a tray.
"Lex, hey," Clark said smiling.
"Your friend is murdering that piano".
"Don't worry Lex I've got something up my
sleeve," Clark said. "Well something
in that drawer". Clark lifted the tray up and
nodded towards one of the
kitchen drawers. Lex opened it and took out a
videocassette.
"What's this?" Lex asked, suspicion in his voice.
"It's last years school production of Jesus Christ Superstar".
"Are you sure everyone wants to be reminded of that embarrassment?"
"Oh come on Lex this is the only time we ever
just had fun without something
going wrong or me having to save someone".
"That was the day Chloe found out she was
pregnant," Lex said thinking out
loud. "Oh and the following week my father was
up in court for murder".
"Lex, have you still got that ring?" Clark asked ignoring Lex's negativity.
"Is that your way of saying when am I going to propose?"
"Well you've had the ring for like a week now".
"I don't know if I can face it if she says no again".
"Lex, Chloe only said no before because she
thought you were only proposing
because she `got knocked up'," Clark said. "Her
words not mine".
"And you wouldn't do the same?"
"I don't need a piece of paper to prove how I
feel, if I love someone and they
love me and we want to be together and can be
together that's all that
matters," Clark said. "But if you want to marry
Chloe, ask her, ask her now".
Clark walked into the living area and Lex could
hear him asking Chloe to go
into the kitchen.
"Lex," Chloe said entering the kitchen. "Clark
said you needed to talk to me
about something, you don't have to leave do you?
Or are you making excuses
because you don't want to hang out with my goofy
friends".
"I don't think you're friends are goofy Chloe -
they're my friends too," Lex
said. "I, well I needed to ask you something but
I'm not sure the Kent's
kitchen is really the most romantic place".
"Romantic?"
"Chloe," Lex said fiddling around in his jacket
pocket. "I've been carrying
this around for a week trying to find a way to
ask you". He took the small
velvet box out of his jacket pocket and bent down
on one knee thankful it
didn't crack and spoil the moment. Lex opened
the box and looked right up into
Chloe's face. There were tears in her eyes and
she grabbed a tea towel and
wiped her eyes. Just the sight of him, making a
complete fool of himself,
being so non Lex in some respects made her want
to ball.
"Chloe Sullivan will you marry me?" he asked.
"Not because I `knocked you up'
or because we're moving to Metropolis together
but because I love you".
"Of course I'll marry you," Chloe said still
wiping her eyes with the tea
towel. "Get up and come here".
Lex got up off the floor and put the ring on
Chloe's finger. It was a
sparkling emerald, Chloe looked at it
suspiciously.
"It's an emerald," Lex said. "Don't worry it
wasn't too expensive, I know if
it was you'd want to sell it and buy something
sensible like furniture". Chloe
knew he was lying but perhaps she deserved an
expensive engagement ring, she
would only have one after all.
"I just thought it looked like meteor rock for a minute," Chloe said.
"Would that matter?"
"No," Chloe said laughing nervously.
"I thought an emerald would be something different".
"It's beautiful Lex," Chloe said and she went on
tiptoe and kissed him on the
lips. "Let's tell everyone".
"Here comes Lana," Clark said laughing and they
all pointed to the TV screen as
Lana dressed as a peasant playing the part of
`Girl' was singing.
See my eyes I can hardly see, she sang on screen weakly but in tune.
Christian was laughing at Josh Turner who had
played the part of `Boy' and fell
over.
"The football team gave him stick about that for that for weeks".
"Let's fast forward to Jason's bit," Lana said.
"You're bit hasn't finished yet," Clark said.
See my skin I'm a mass of blood
"Why would you want to see Jason's bit anyway?"
Christian asked. "You guys
broke up".
"Yeh but he sneezed on Sarah in his bit".
"That was gross," Clark said.
"Oh no you're not watching that," Chloe said as
she and Lex entered the room
and she flashed her right hand about.
"Wow," Lana cried.
"Lex just asked me to marry me," Chloe cried excitedly. "And I said yes".
"Congratulations," Clark said smiling and he and Lex exchanged knowing nods.
"What's that ring made out of?" Christian asked.
"It's an emerald," Chloe replied. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeh it'll do a treat next St Patrick's day,"
Christian remarked in a mock
Irish accent and Lana ran over to Chloe and the
two girls hugged. Then began
the mass hugs which Christian decided to stay out
of.
"Oh look its Sarah's solo," Christian said, the video tape was still running.
"We can fast forward that," Lana said.
"You still bitter about her getting the part?"
"No," Lana said and she laughed. "Yes, does that make me a horrible person?"
"That play was so weird, there was like Clark's
props and sets and Christian
and Pete's singing which were just brilliant and
then there were so many stupid
disasters," Chloe said.
"Why did your music teacher pick that play anyway
we did that when I was at
school?" Lex said.
"It was when `The Passion of the Christ' was
popular," Christian explained.
"Mr Hansen thought he was being cool".
"Oh don't show Christian singing Gethsemane I'll cry again," Chloe cried.
"You only cried last time because you were
pregnant," Christian said. "You
don't usually cry at girly crap".
"Well I just cried now, do marriage proposals
count as girly crap?" Chloe said
and she poured herself a glass of punch. "Has
this got vodka in it?" Clark
nodded. "I'll drink to that".
"And us getting engaged," Lex said.
"To Chloe and Lex," Clark cried raising a glass.
"To Chloe and Lex," everyone cried and Christian
made a beeline for the piano
again.
"Christian give it a rest," Clark said and
everyone cheered. "Let's put on a
CD". Clark put a CD in his parents CD player.
My baby don't mess around because she loves me so
and I know fo shoo Outkast
began blasting out of the stereo and Chloe made a
whooping sound and got on top
of the sofa. Clark laughed and then all of a
sudden felt very sad, it was
surely the end of an era.
Lex heard a buzzing in his pocket, took out his
mobile phone and saw a name he
recognised flashing on the display screen.
"Oh no," Chloe cried. "Don't answer it".
"I won't be more than a second OK," Lex insisted
and he walked into the
kitchen. "Look I've just proposed to my
girlfriend so make this quick".
"That's all right boss I just wanted to check on
the arrangements for
tomorrow," a voice at the other end of the line
said.
"My father is still in Smallville it shouldn't be too hard to find him".
"And how do you want me to?"
"I don't care how just make sure no-one else gets
hurt - oh and try and make it
look like an accident," Lex said rubbing his brow
in concentration.
"How do I do that?"
"I don't know cut the breaks on his car or
something, I pay you to think of
these things".
"OK Boss will do," the voice said. "Oh and Boss - Congratulations".
"Say that to me again tomorrow when he's gone," Lex said seriously.
Clark made his way out of the Smallville Medical
Centre after saying goodbye to
all the doctors and nurses who had been there for
him, his friends and family
at so many disasters over the last four years.
He made his way down the road,
the Smallville Medical Centre had been the last
place on his list after
visiting the Old folks home, the Library, the
Talon, the Ledger, the Teen
Crisis Hotline and Smallville High.
"You have been busy today Clark".
Clark turned around to see Lionel Luthor stood by
one of his many flash cars.
What was he doing in the middle of a dirt road in
the middle of nowhere
exactly?
"Get lost Luthor," Clark said and he turned to carry on walking.
"Now Clark that's not very respectful"
Clark turned again, walked up to Lionel and
looked him right in the face.
Lionel seemed completely calm about being in the
presence of someone who after
all could knock him out by simply flicking his
little finger in his
forehead.
"People like you don't deserve respect".
"Now now I didn't come here to fight".
"And how did you know I was here exactly? Have
you been following me?" Clark
asked, aggressively. "You know some people would
have something to say about a
man your age following young men around".
"I would have thought you would be beyond such juvenile remarks".
"What do you want anyway?" Clark seemed to get
more aggressive as Lionel
appeared more cool and disinterested.
"I heard your leaving Smallville".
"That's right I'm going on a trip, a long one, out of here".
"And you think that's a worthwhile use of your talents?"
"I want to be a writer, how can I write if I
don't have anything to write
about? Not that's its any of your business".
"We both know Clark what has happened to you
since birth and what will happen
to you in the future could most likely inspire an
entire mythology," Lionel
said smiling and stroking his chin.
"I don't know what you mean," Clark said, his
neck twinging slightly as it did
when he lied under pressure.
"And the lies continue. You don't have to lie to
me Clark I know your secret.
Don't look so worried. I think this knowledge
could be profitable for both of
us," Lionel said.
"And how's that exactly?"
"You do as I say and the people you love will be well looked after".
"You seriously think I would work for you!"
"I don't think you understand Clark, you've never
had much money, I can change
that, you've never had many chances, I can give
you those chances. In exchange
I would ask your completely loyalty to Luthor
Corp and to me. With someone as
talented as yourself Clark - well its
unimaginable what I could do, what we
could do - we could rule the planet," at this
Lionel did get excited and even
laughed a little. Clark wondered if Lionel was
in his right mind. He was
suggesting he and Clark could join forces and do
what? Rule the world
together. Well that certainly was not part of
Jorel's plan. Even if Clark had
not figured out what Jorel meant he knew what it
did not mean. Evil was never
part of his plan. "You're being quiet Clark".
"See ya later," Clark said and he began turning to walk away again.
"I told your father you were weak," Lionel
shouted back. "A year ago when we
had that fight in the cave, you were born to
greater things Clark - or should
that be Kalel".
Clark turned around and grabbed Lionel by the
scruff of his jacket and pushed
him against the car.
"Where did you hear that name?"
"Dr Swann, don't worry he didn't betray you
Clark, everything I have found out
this past year, well he tried to stop me".
Clark let go of Lionel shaking with anger. He
was supposed to be making a
fresh start and this, this was happening now a
few hours before lift off.
"I would never work or join forces with you,"
Clark snapped almost spitting in
Lionel's face. "You and people like you disgust
me". Clark turned away and
looked across the horizon, the scrub land, he
needed to calm down.
"And of course you," Lionel said reaching through
his car window for a small
lead box. "Being from such a noble and strong
race, you know better, you're so
much better than us".
Clark turned to see the green menace shining from
the box in Lionel's hand and
could feel the familiar dread and nausea take
over his whole being. He looked
to see his once pink hand covered in black veins
and collapsed to the floor
immediately. The gravel was cutting into his
hands and face and all he could
do was look up at Lionel's menacing face, his
face quivering like he was a
little boy.
"I knew you were weak," Lionel said again.
"You keep saying that," Clark said softly. He
would have thought he would have
built up a resistance to this damn stuff.
"Sorry am I boring you Clark? I gave you an
opportunity but you are just like
your father Jonathan Kent - a sanctimonious,
small minded bastard, spineless.
You would have been better off if you had never
come to this planet, the last
son of Krypton a crumpled heap on the floor, no
wonder they destroyed
themselves if you're the best example the
wonderful Kryptonian race has to
offer!"
"Ahh," Clark shouted and he bashed Lionel in the
legs and in pain Lionel
dropped the lead box and the Kryptonite fell
across the dirt path. Clark stood
up and distanced himself from the green rock.
Lionel sat on the floor rubbing
his sore legs.
"I wondered how long it would take me to get you
really angry," he said. Clark
took a deep breath and blew the Kryptonite
further away down the path. "Now
that's a new power I haven't seen".
"How did you know about any of my powers?" Clark asked.
"Let's just say when I was blind I saw a lot more
than I ever did now that I
can see again," Lionel replied smiling and Clark
began walking away. Lionel
stood up and ran up and shoved the boy. "Where
are you going?"
"I'm going to do what I was going to do?"
"Running away are we Clark?" Lionel said. "I was right about you".
"I'll be back for you Luthor, when I'm ready,"
Clark replied quite seriously.
Lionel let go of Clark and began walking back to
his car. "And technically
Luthor I'm not running". At that point Clark
began to levitate off of the
floor and Lionel watched in utter amazement as
Clark flew across the sky and
out of eyeshot.
"My God," he said and then he laughed, he laughed
loudly like he had not
laughed in years.
Ten minutes later and Clark and Lex were sat on a
leather couch in the Mansion
Library Lex completely oblivious to what had
transpired between Clark and Lex's
father. Clark hugged Lillian tightly and then
handed her back to Lex.. In
some ways Clark would miss the soft skinned
little baby the most, she was the
only one who had never made him angry or upset.
"She's getting red hair - like you," Clark said
and he smiled sheepishly.
"Well like you used to have".
"Yeh she's going to be beautiful," Lex replied
placing Lillian in a basket that
was on the table his side of the couch.
"She is now".
"Yeh".
"Well I guess this is it Lex," Clark said softly
and the two men stood up and
looked at each other, not quite sure what to say.
"It's been interesting".
"Clark I got you something-"
"Lex you didn't have to,"
Lex took out a small well wrapped parcel and handed it to Clark.
"Open it".
"Thanks Lex," Clark said feeling guilty he hadn't
bought Lex anything. Then
again what could he buy him? Clark took the
wrapping off to reveal a black
leather box and opened it. Inside was a dark
blue shiny fountain pen with a
huge silver nib which could seriously take
someone's eye out. At the top of
the pen were engraved the letters CK. "Hey it
looks like the Calvin Klein
design a bit".
"Yeh I never noticed that".
"Thanks Lex this is really cool".
"Well if you're going to be a writer you'll need
one of those," Lex said
smiling.
"Yeh".
"Send us a postcard hey," Lex said as he and
Clark hugged patting each other on
the back the way they always did. And Clark
could not help but hold on extra
tight.
Lex had been like a brother despite the secrets.
Clark had loved Lex and would
have done anything for him and Lex felt the same.
Clark wondered why he and
Chloe had not told Lex his secret when she found
out when Lillian was born.
Clark had after all had seen Lex's reaction to
his secret before and he had
seemed happy. Lex had been happy because he
wasn't mad, he was right that
there was something different about Clark and he
was happy perhaps because
there were no longer any secrets between them.
But that happiness was short
lived. Clark had to protect his secret from
others, perhaps he had been a
coward, whatever it was Lex was returned to the
asylum and that memory was
erased forever despite any attempts to resurrect
it. Since Lex's time in the
asylum Clark had felt even more protective of Lex
and had wanted to help him
even more than ever. At the same time though the
doubt was there because of
Lionel. So it was, deception and love, and the
two men stood there unable to
let go for nearly ten minutes.
Clark hugged each of his parents in turn.
"We'll miss you son," Jonathan said. "You make us proud".
"And take care of yourself," Martha added.
"Away from this place and all the Kryptonite
he'll feel better than he has in
years," Chloe said smiling. Despite Chloe's
words Martha felt almost sick from
nerves at the prospect of Clark flying, quite
literally, out of their lives.
But Jonathan was right - they had to let him go.
Clark turned to hug Chloe.
"I am going to miss you so much," she said
emotion clear in her voice. Her
eyes were filled with tears and a few escaped
down her cheeks. Clark felt a
lump form in his throat.
"I'll be back to visit you know," he said
struggling to get the words out and
Chloe held back a sob. Even if Clark could fly
the world would be a bigger
distraction than he could ever imagine and Chloe
knew she would not see him for
a long time. "And look after Lex".
"I will," Chloe said and Jonathan handed her a
tissue as she and Clark moved
away from each other and she wiped her cheeks
with it.
"Lana," Clark said to the young brunette stood
further up the field. Clark had
picked a particularly poignant place to take off,
the field the ship had landed
on fifteen years ago. Chloe, Martha and Jonathan
stepped away to give the pair
space.
She was crying and it tore into him.
"Clark".
He took hold of her and pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly.
"I'll always love you," he said softly tears
filling his eyes. "And I am so
sorry".
"What for?" Lana asked moving back to look into
his face and the tears. "Clark
if you're this upset you don't have to go".
"Lana I have to".
"Why?"
"Because I need to see what's out there, I need
to find something I can't find
staying here".
"But if we love each other," Lana said hope clear in her face.
"It would never work Lana"
"Why not?" Lana asked, sounding a little frustrated.
"I can never give you the normal life you always wanted".
"What if I don't want a normal life anymore?"
"I see it in your eyes Lana," Clark said wiping
his eyes with his sleeve.
"Every time you see me use my powers you wish
they weren't there".
"That's not true - I can put up with them - for you".
"I don't want you to put up with them, the
powers, me being from Krypton it's
part of who I am I want you to do more than put
up with that," Clark said,
seriously. The emotional strength in his whole
person was apparent and Lana
knew that she would not change his mind about
this. Though he could have
talked her out of going to Paris over a year ago,
she could not talk him out of
this. Clark moved away from Lana and put his
hand in his pocket and took out a
clear rock on a silver chain. "I got you
something Lana".
"It's my necklace," Lana cried, overwhelmed as
Clark handed it to her. "But it
was green before".
"I was in the storm cellar, someone had put it
round my neck to try and kill
me, my space ship saved me - it turned the meteor
rock clear. I could never
tell you before you found out the secret," Clark
explained. "It reminded me of
Whitney".
"Oh Clark," Lana said putting the necklace on.
"Lana all Whitney wanted to do was make out with
you and take you to the prom,"
Clark said and they both smiled. "Lana that's
what you need when you're 16.
We were too young for all this".
"You can't be too young to fall in love".
"Falling in love was fine but all the trouble I
caused for you Lana wasn't.
And all the pressure I put on you. I was hoping
you would stop me feeling
something that no one person could ever stop me
feeling".
"What?"
"Alone," Clark said looking down at the floor.
"I thought you were my soul
mate, but I was scared and I kept pushing you
away".
"But you don't have to be alone Clark".
"I know that now and I couldn't believe it
before," Clark said. "But whatever
it is that will stop me feeling this way, like
I'm lost, it's not here in
Smallville. I love you Lana but no matter what
you say I know that you can
never love me truly for what I am only in spite
of it".
Lana did not know what to say. Maybe because it
was all true and there was
nothing left to say? The fact was if she could
magic Clark's powers away and
make him human she would.
"Bye Clark," she said wiping her eyes with a
crumpled up tissue from her jacket
pocket.
"Bye Lana," Clark said and he kissed her on the
cheek. Feeling her cheek wet
and warm from his kiss Lana smiled.
"You were a good friend Clark," she said. "And I will miss that so much".
"Same here," Clark said smiling and they walked
back over to where Chloe and
his parents were stood.
"Where's Christian?" Martha asked, suddenly
realising the young man wasn't
there.
"We said goodbye earlier - he's in Grandville tonight".
"The winds picking up," Jonathan said as the cold
wind whipped against their
faces.
"I better go," Clark cried and he hugged his
parents one last time. "I'll call
you tomorrow".
"Goodbye son," Jonathan said tears coming to his
eyes as Martha squeezed his
hand tightly
"Bye," Clark said and he picked up his bag and
began to float above the ground.
Taking one last look at everyone he turned and
flew through the air. Jonathan,
Martha, Chloe and Lana kept waving even after
Clark had disappeared from
view.
"Right you guys I really need to get to The
Ledger," Chloe said. "Lana me and
Lillian are staying with Lex tonight so let my
Dad know".
"Yeh sure," Lana replied still looking up at the sky.
"See you later Chloe," Jonathan said as the young
blonde made her way back to
her car.
"Lana did you want to come back to the farm with
me and Jonathan for some
coffee?" Martha asked. "You can sample some of
the super size cookies I've
baked for the Talon".
"I'd love to," Lana replied and the three of them
made their way back to
Jonathan's truck.
Chloe left the Ledger building and as she was
about to open her car door
noticed a familiar face stood by his car.
"Miss Sullivan," he said.
"What do you want?" Chloe asked, annoyed.
"You're the second person to show me such
hostility today, what have I done to
deserve it I wonder," Lionel replied grimacing
slightly. He could feel a
slight pain low in his abdomen.
"Second person?"
"Well you didn't think I was going to let Clark
go - just like that". Lionel
smiled menacingly.
"Clark never mentioned seeing you".
"Well he had to fly - quite literally as I saw earlier"
"You know," Chloe said, putting her hand to her mouth shocked.
"And I was right about you knowing too I see.
But I can see why you were so
reluctant to let Lex know. It's not just a case
of super speed or his vast
strength anymore is it? His abilities are truly
remarkable. You know as well
as I do Lex would do everything in his power to
exploit that".
"Oh and you wouldn't".
"At least I admit it Chloe, I admit that I am not
the most compassionate and
caring person in the world. But Lex is denying
what he is, trying to repress
what he is inside".
"Lex is nothing like you. I didn't tell Lex
because that was Clark's job and
he didn't want Lex to know. It's not an easy
secret to keep".
"But why didn't Clark want Lex to know?"
"Look I shouldn't be discussing this with you, if
the Kent's knew you knew
they'd be devastated," Chloe said. "Clark is
gone now". Chloe opened the door
to her car.
"Argh," Lionel cried clutching his abdomen. "Don't go".
"You expect me to fall for that old routine,"
Chloe said scepticism clear in
her voice and Lionel collapsed to the floor.
"I think, I need the hospital" Lionel croaked
clutching the pain as if his
insides would spill out of him at any moment.
Chloe stood for a split second, was he really
ill? But he had gone into
remission. And then again he could be genuine.
Chloe closed the car door and dragged Lionel into
the passenger seat of his own
car since he was closer to it and closed the
door. Chloe got into the driving
seat and started the car.
"We're going to get you to the hospital," Chloe
said. The Smallville Medical
Centre wasn't too far. Lionel did look awful and
Chloe realised there was
blood soaking through his shirt. She started
going faster towards the medical
centre and when she put her foot on the break
repeatedly she realised something
which made her stomach churn and her heart began
racing.
"Lionel," she said.
"What?" he groaned.
"The breaks aren't working," Chloe replied terror
in her voice. She needed to
crash into something just to stop the car, maybe
she could jump out but then
what would happen to Lionel? He was in no safe
state to jump. She swerved the
car but misjudged in her anxiety and the car flew
through a large glass wall at
the front of the medical centre, at this point
Lionel lost consciousness and
Chloe began to panic even more. The glass
shattered all over the car which
carried on through the centre people screaming
and running out of its path.
Chloe managed to steer the car back outside and
the car collided with a brick
wall. The windscreen shattered, the front of the
car was crushed and so were
the two bodies inside. And that was it.
Clark flew across London oblivious to what had
taken place back across the
other side of the Atlantic. And there it was -
Big Ben. How cool it would be
to stand on a big clock he thought and he touched
down on a ledge above the
clock face surrounded by large metal spikes. He
listened to the inner workings
of the clock and looked over London feeling an
immense sense of freedom as his
coat flapped in the wind.
He was away from Smallville and the Kryptonite
and from all the meteor mutants.
He could just be normal now, he had a whole world
to explore and learn about.
This so called inferior world that his father
Jorel had sent him to, this
inferior world which had given him a chance of
life and on which he would serve
an important purpose was there in front of him.
The future was a blank slate
despite his destiny.
He could hear the noise of a nearby night club
and felt the lure of the music
and human company. London was waiting and so was
the rest of the world.
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